Please join the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre community by donating to our community partner, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, on December 3, #givingtuesday.

The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, with financial support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, has helped over 2,100 youth from Scarborough participate in the Learn to Train program since 2016. In 2021, we expanded our relationship with Jumpstart by launching the Girls in Sport program, which has involved over 200 hundred girls from Scarborough high schools to-date. Both programs are facilitated by the Sports Academy in a safe and inclusive environment at TPASC.

The Learn to Train program, which started with two schools and fifty students participating in the first year, has grown to ten schools/groups, and 250 youth participating in 2024. The program helps eliminate financial barriers by inviting youth from marginalized communities in Scarborough to participate. The program provides six weeks of physical and health literacy training, which is not offered in elementary school, which helps youth learn new skills, build confidence, and boost their self-esteem. It also provides them with knowledge to make educated choices about the role physical education and sports can play as they enter high school and for life.

The Girls in Sport program was created to address a need identified by physical education teachers in Scarborough high schools who have difficulty keeping girls in sports and physical education. Research confirmed the teachers concerns by showing that barriers exist in sport that are causing 1 in 3 girls to drop out by adolescence. The program helps remove those barriers and provides the girls that participate with positive outcomes.

Last spring, twenty-three girls from St John Paul II CSS participated in a 12-week Girls in Sport program. Through a questionnaire shared with Rachel Turner, Head of the Health and Physical Education department we received her testimonials on the positive impact the program had on the girls from her school. Here are a few:

1) Building connections with peers: "The girls started out as twenty-three individuals and by the end they came together to support one another. Participation in the program facilitated a growing sense of community and support amongst the girls at school."

2) Development of physical literacy skills: "The girls gained confidence in their own abilities, and they pushed through challenges to achieve their full potential in the training."

3) Physically and Mentally Stronger: "Many girls said they feel mentally and physically stronger because of their participation in the program."

December 3, 2024, is #givingtuesday. Please consider donating to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities because 100% of the money donated goes towards helping youth facing financial barriers stay active and play sports. That means any donation made through your online donation not only benefits youth located in Toronto but will also help provide opportunities at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre as well.

Please click on the “donate” button to make a secure online donation, that includes a tax receipt and give youth a sporting chance.

Thanks for your support,

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre