Learn to Skate

See More Projects

Related Content

A stop sign in the foreground with three young cyclists in the background at a active school travel event.

Active School Travel: Tools for Change

Why should school communities promote active transportation modes for school travel? Some data to consider: According to the baseline Family Travel Survey collected by Ever Active Schools between 2019 and 2024 in Alberta, 32.8% of families (n=6190 responses) use active modes of transportation most often for trips to school, while 36.7% of families (n=6403 responses)…

The 2024 Winter Cycling Congress: What a Ride!

Written by: Tracey Coutts and Katie Mahon, Ever Active Schools Has this ever happened to you… You invite people to your favourite place, maybe it’s a pizza parlour, a place known for its delicious pizza but, just as your guests start to pour through the door, the parlour runs out of cheese. Like, completely.…

SHAPING THE FUTURE 2024 RECAP

Different Location, Same Shaping the Future! 15 years of Shaping the Future. 15 years of memories, connection and learning all in the name of creating healthy communities and schools. This year, the annual Shaping the Future conference sponsored by Teach Nutrition and Belair Direct may have been held in a different location, but the atmosphere…

Scooter rack full of scooters to promote active school travel

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN AN ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL CHAMPION FACES CHALLENGES? REALLY GREAT SOLUTIONS.

Writers: Trevor Henderson, Black Gold School Division Wellness Lead, with support from Tracey Coutts and Shauna Miller-Shaker Ever Active School supports many Active School Travel (AST) projects across the province which boast some pretty amazing outcomes, one of which continues to shine in Leduc, Alberta. In 2020/2021, Black Gold School Division Wellness Lead, Trevor…

WINTER CYCLING IN ALBERTA

Winter cycling may seem exotic and strange, but if you’ve ever biked in the warmer weather, or cross-country skied, snowshoed, or even walked outside in the winter, you’re 89.6% prepared to ride your bike in winter! How so, you might ask? Well: You already own the clothing. You know how to dress in layers so you…

GRANTING PERMISSION TO TRY WITH CYCLING

Written by Tracey Coutts, Ever Active Schools Watching young cyclists discover the freedom and thrill that comes with learning how to confidently navigate new neighbourhood and community routes is the equivalent of reading about C. S. Lewis’ Lucy moving deeper into the wardrobe, brushing past fur coats that transform to fir tree branches, on her…

A circle of adults during a basketball coaching clinic with a rolling whiteboard in the centre.

EVERYBODY PLAYS: LEAGUES OF PLAY

In the 2022/2023 school year, Ever Active Schools and Canadian Tire Jumpstart entered into a multi-year partnership centered around the dream that everybody plays. Through this work, we are providing: 100% opportunity to participate so that everybody plays. Focus on priority populations so that everybody plays. Capacity building through grassroots approaches so that everybody plays.…

Two people are playing Giants, Wizards, Elves – a game to help teach the Phys Ed and Wellness section of the Alberta K-6 Curriculum. The person on the left is posed like a wizard with fingers pointed like magic wands. The person on the right is crouched down in an elf pose using hands for elf ears.

TEACHING THE NEW ALBERTA K-6 CURRICULUM

The new Alberta K-6 curriculum has certainly been a hot topic, and we’ve heard a lot of questions about the Physical Education and Wellness (PEW) section. The biggest question: how do I teach this Alberta K-6 curriculum without losing active time with my class? Never fear: Ever Active Schools is here! We’ve compiled 8 games…

HOW TO HOST A TOURNAMENT

Written by Nathan White and Melissa Tierney, Ever Active Schools In our Everybody Plays project work, funded by Jumpstart, Ever Active Schools has been working with schools and communities to host leagues of play, which includes tournaments! This handy guide is intended to help you plan and host a tournament. It is important to note…

HOSTING A HISTORIC ATHLETIC EVENT

In October 2022, Ever Active Schools had the opportunity to co-host the Alberta School Athletics Association (ASAA) Cross Country Running Provincial Championships with maskêkosihk, or Enoch Cree Nation. This was only the second time in ASAA history that a First Nation community was selected to host. “It was so special because the Cultural Grounds [where…

As a strategy to foster access and physical activity for all children, students from inner city and under-served school communities receive the opportunity to visit Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena to learn to skate. Funded by the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, with support from the City of Edmonton, Ever Active Schools and Skate Canada, this project aims to remove the financial barrier of cost to access the Downtown Community Arena.

We were brought in to help find target schools that would most benefit from the program. Skate Canada delivers their CanSkate programming at the Downtown Community Arena, with the use of equipment and facilities graciously donated by the City of Edmonton.

Approximately 90% of students who have attended the Learn to Skate program to date were actually experiencing skating for the first time! This includes a number of new Canadian youth, many of whom had never seen ice or been to an arena. Overall, 3051 students between grades 1-9 from over 21 Edmonton schools have had the chance to participate and Learn to Skate since 2018.

All students learn fundamental movement skills on the ice, appropriate to their skill level, while improving their physical literacy for ice and snow environments. The program is accessible for students with a disability through the use of sleds. Students with intellectual disabilities, including Autism and behavioural challenges, can also participate and have had positive experiences.

During the 2019/2020 school year, we were able to purchase a class set of ice sleds. These sleds are accessible for any student who may need one so they are able to participate in the CanSkate lessons with their peers.

The sleds are also available for Sledge in Schools, a program led by Paralympic Sport Association. Sledge in Schools is a one-off experiential day, allowing students to understand the basics of sledge hockey. This program allows for many classes from each participating school to attend, both maximizing afternoon ice time through the Learn to Skate program and extending the project reach.

Interested in learning more or getting involved?

Click here to contact Krista Trim, Provincial Projects Coordinator.