A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE $500,000 FOR CHILD AND YOUTH SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DEVELOPMENT.
Through PISE’s Gift of Play programs, we connect annually with over 15,000 children under the age of 12 to help set them up for success. With a focus on physical literacy, engaging activities, and, most of all, fun, Gift of Play helps kids develop the foundational skills, motivation, and confidence that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Developed to reach as many children in our region as possible, there are a variety of Gift of Play programs in need of your support.
Play with purpose. Fostering physical literacy through intentional games and activities.
Give the Gift of PLAY
PISE is a nationally recognized leader in providing inclusive, developmentally appropriate programs for children. We are proud to now work with approximately 10,000 children each year throughout the south island region, bringing them heart pumping, bone building, sweaty and fun physical literacy enriched sessions at schools, recreation and community centres and at PISE. Our goal is for every child to LOVE being active so that they develop into happy, healthy and active adults.
Critical to this goal is working to ensure all children have opportunity to participate, including those in need. We do this by working in schools, providing free programming in the community and offering our PLAY Your Way Subsidy for our summer camps and other programs.
“Of note, children from more disadvantaged or at risk backgrounds do not have the same opportunities for physical activity and often live in environments that contribute to poor health. The programming by the Pacific Institute for Sport Education [PISE], essentially a targeted universality approach, has the opportunity to address these inequity issues both from a socio-economic and physical disadvantage perspective.” ~ Dr. Richard S. Stanwick, Chief Medical Health Officer, Island Health
Play Your Way Grant: $10,000
The Play Your Way Grant program offers financial support to families who need a hand getting their children involved in summer and spring camps and other youth programs at PISE. Donations to the Play Your Way Grant program allow PISE to give the gift of play to even more children and help ensure every child has the start to life they deserve.
Teacher Mentorship Program: $50,000
For many young people, school is where they first form their relationship with sport and active living. Having positive early experiences with physical activity is key to ensuring it will continue to be a priority throughout the rest of their lives. That’s why the experts at PISE offer physical education programming to help teachers in our local school districts deliver the most engaging and effective physical education possible, supported also with equipment, resources, and lesson plans. Donations to this program enable us to reach thousands of students and reach populations that do not have access to these quality programs outside of school.
Kids on Wheels: $20,000
One of our newer programs, Kids on Wheels expands PISE’s reach to young people in daycares, preschools, and community centres and gives those children the chance to develop early bicycling skills. Using our fleet of 16 pedal-less Strider balance bikes, this program helps children learn balance, steering, and the risks and opportunities of cycling in a completely safe way and with greater proven success in transitioning to pedal-bikes than from bikes with training wheels. PISE is looking for support to be able to offer this quality program to as many early-childhood centres as possible.
Inclusive Child & Youth Programs: $70,000
Along with the physical and mental benefits, sport and play are vital ingredients to a young person’s sense of belonging and inclusion. PISE’s Inclusive Child and Youth Programs help develop these social skills and sense of belonging by offering opportunities for play to children with disabilities, children who are recent arrivals to Canada, children from Indigenous communities, and all others who may need a helping hand to get involved and start playing. With needs for specific equipment and staffing, these programs can be quite costly, and support is needed to help maintain and expand these offerings.
Give the Gift of POTENTIAL
Our Gift of Potential programs provide the necessary next steps, offering continuing physical activity programing that hones skills, builds character, and prepares youth for the next level of their chosen sport, and the next stage of their lives.
See below for the many Gift of Potential initiatives.
Youth Performance Centre $150,000
With a space in our facility being freed up in 2024, PISE is taking the opportunity to develop a new state-of-the-art Youth Performance Centre to give athletes from all backgrounds access to the resources and equipment they need to excel at their chosen sport. Funding for the centre will go towards the purchase of cutting-edge technology, including video analysis, compression recovery tools, and hydrotherapy tubs, along with fundamental equipment such as treadmills, lifting platforms, and weights. The space will also be designed for accessibility, providing top-notch training opportunities for all athletes and para-athletes, making sure every young athlete has the opportunity to take themselves to the next level.
Coaching Capacity $85,000
With the new high-performance training space comes the opportunity for increasing our coaching capabilities. Simply put, PISE wants to hire more coaches, and provide them with the ongoing training and education they need to stay current with the rapidly evolving performance world. Support in this area will help put together an expanded team of world-class coaches available to help our young athletes take their performance to the next level.
Youth from Diverse and Vulnerable Backgrounds Programs $100,000
PISE is proud to offer a variety of programs geared towards those young people who so often get left behind. Whether due to a lack of confidence, motivation, or resources, adolescence is a time when many youth drop out of sport. As the new Youth Performance Centre becomes available, we are committed to working with adolescent aged youth from diverse backgrounds. Support in this area will allow us to work with youth from backgrounds, such as, Indigenous athletes training for the North American Indigenous Games, newcomer athletes to Canada and youth experiencing a disability and participating in para-sport.
Athlete Scholarships $15,000
Athletic talent is found in youth from all walks of life. But to be able to compete at the highest levels requires training, support, and resources, something not every family in our region can afford. That’s why each year, PISE awards exceptional young athletes with scholarships to assist with their training, whether that be through coaching, the Canadian Sport School, or general access to our state-of-the-art facilities. Your support of this program will help even more young people to reach their potential and achieve their dreams.