LIVE ACTIVE SUMMIT 2018 RECAPPED
Written by Kayli McClelland, Creative Media Specialist, Ever Active Schools
THAT’S A WRAP!
The 2018 Live Active Summit has officially come to a close. Many heads nodded in agreement to Dr. Mariana Brussoni’s keynote Popping the Bubble Wrap: Making Space for Risky Play on day 1 and we heard some incredible concurrent sessions and workshops around “risky play” and Loose Parts Play. The hands-on, interactive demonstrations connected well with delegates.
Paralympic snowboard athlete John Leslie joined Ever Active Schools and the Alberta Snowboard Association to explain some dryland basics and how to apply these to school sessions so that kids are ready for the hill; Van Colden of Rolling with Van and her three kids Sophie (11), Ben (9) and Ellie (7) presented their #getkidsout initiative to teach the next generation about respectfully advocating for the things you believe in; and let’s not forget about the Biking Around Edmonton session that included some wayfinding and a wonderful opportunity to get active and explore Alberta’s capital city.
The Live Active Social at Yellowhead Brewery after day 1 was a fantastic time for networking in an intimate group. We heard a passionate plea from Julie Kusiek of Thrive YEG about working with the City of Edmonton to make a more active and accessible Edmonton for all; Canadian Olympic Bobsled athlete Neville Write spoke about sport as a platform for resiliency, telling the group that “[sport] taught me to learn to make choices for myself – it taught me to build a pathway for success;” and pole vaulter and program officer for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Robyn Webster told her story of sport shaping who she is. “If I’m passionate about it, I’m all in.”
Day 2 on Friday jumped right into a workshop block with sessions centering around Social and Emotional Learning; youth participation in sport; more on risky play; and a dance workshop. After a riveting discussion at lunch with young panelists from Edmonton-area schools left delegates with the question in their mind: how can we learn from these students’ experiences and help our own students learn to appreciate, enjoy and commit to sports? The day wrapped up with a variety of sessions around equitable access to sport and recreation, including making things accessible for newcomers to Canada, those in small spaces and with small budgets, Indigenous youth, and those with disabilities.
After an engaging and exciting two days, delegates surely have a lot to ponder and figure out how to implement these ideas and games into their own programs. One thing is for certain: everybody experienced how to Live Active.
