Everybody Plays

Everybody Plays is an initiative to normalize active recreation, sport and performance arts participation at school: part of a school = part of a team. 

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Everybody Plays is a partnership between Ever Active Schools and Canadian Tire Jumpstart. Through this programming, we are aiming for children and youth to have 100% opportunity for active participation through recreation, sport and performance arts at school. We focus on:

  • 100% opportunity so that everybody plays
  • Priority populations so that everybody plays
  • Capacity building through grassroots approaches so that everybody plays

With a goal of reaching 75,000 students in 300 schools across 3 provinces over three years, this project is no small feat. It takes shape through a four-pronged approach:

School Programming

Everybody Plays School Programming follows the comprehensive school health framework. It spans an entire school year and includes an in-school residency, thorough preparation, and follow-up work tailored to meet the specific needs and opportunities for growth within each school. By engaging with administrators, wellness champions, and student leaders, health and wellness consultants gain valuable insights into local contexts and craft customized program implementation and professional development strategies. This school-level programming reduces local and specific barriers to play for priority populations.

Community Programming

Everybody Plays Community Programming follows a comprehensive model that includes community engagement, program planning, implementation and evaluation. Our Health and Wellness Consultants work directly with community members to build, launch and/or refine projects addressing equal access to sport, recreation and performance art within the community.

Some project work under this branch has included: Canadian Outdoor Experience for newcomers, Learn to Skateboard camps, After School Recreation Programming, Summer Recreation Programming in Treaty 7,  Physical Literacy Programming in the Library, and many more.

EP Community Programming reaches more than 500 children and youth.

Read more about one of our Jumpstart Community projects in our Fall 2024 edition of the Health Schools Alberta magazine.

Leagues of Play

Everybody Plays Leagues of Play programming can be an excellent after-school or intramural strategy to increase opportunities for recreation, sport and/or performance arts. This programming can support students who cannot or do not participate in traditional sporting leagues due to financial, transportation, or other barriers. Leagues of play programming include three key elements: 

  • No-barrier access to recreation, sport and/or performance arts for children and youth,
  • Support for leaders/coaches with quality training opportunities (i.e., practice plans, coach training workshops, etc.), and a 
  • ‘League’ format with opportunities to play with/against others in a game or tournament format.

Read more about leagues of play in this blog post

Events

Everybody Plays Events create opportunities to increase well-being for children and youth through participation in recreation, sport and/or performance arts. Every year we support school communities in hosting numerous events. 

Most recently in November of 2024 through Everybody Plays Events Ever Active Schools and Medicine Hat Adaptive Sport and Recreation hosted the second Adaptive Sport Festival funded by Canadian Tire Jumpstart and PHE Canada! 

The event welcomed over 130 people including K-10 students experiencing disabilities, their teachers and EAs, as well as volunteers for a day of inclusive play. Activities included adaptive bocce, wheelchair sports, and gym games.

Read more about another of the Everybody Plays Events, the Track and Traditional Games event in the Fall 2023 edition of Healthy Schools Alberta magazine.

 

This work exists to combat barriers to accessing physical activity and wellness opportunities. In the 2022 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, only 28% of children and youth in Canada were meeting national physical activity guidelines – a drop of 11% from the previous Report Card. Indigenous and newcomer youth, two of our priority populations, had even larger decreases in activity from pre-pandemic to 2022.

Jumpstart and Ever Active Schools stepped up. By creating opportunities within school communities where everybody can play, and providing equipment, facilities and transportation, we hope to increase activity levels and overall well-being.