Team Canada Olympic Day Grant

The primary Applicant must be an individual who works for a registered school/board/division in Canada including:

– Elementary, intermediate, or secondary publicly funded schools;

– First nation, metis, and Inuit elementary, intermediate, secondary schools and educational programs; and

– Educational institutions in Canada (e.g., First nations education departments, school boards/divisions, etc.).

Applicants must also meet all other eligibility criteria set out in the Team Canada Olympic Day Grant Terms and Conditions. These include:

– Funding must be used before May 1st, 2024;

– Proposed projects must link to an Olympic Day Pillar (Move, Learn, Discover, Together for a Better World);

– Successful Applicants must agree to complete an impact report by June 15th, 2024, which shall include (1) a detailed financial report for the project, (2) key statistics on the project including the number of students participating, impact, and qualitative/anecdotal feedback.

Funding can be used to support the continuation of already existing programs and/or fund new projects. Programs and projects should focus on empowering students to play and stay in sport, specifically touching on at least one of the following themes: 

Overcome participation barriers

– Remove various participation barriers such as financial constraints, lack of equipment, registration fees, and limited sports facilities.

– Specific focus on addressing challenges faced by marginalized groups, newcomers, smaller schools, rural areas, and low-income communities.

Promote physical and mental health and wellbeing

– Highlight the potential benefits of improved cardiovascular health, reduced sedentary behavior, skill development, and enhanced self-esteem.

– Emphasis on holistic development encompassing skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Diversify of activities and exploration

– Broaden students’ horizons by offering diverse sports and physical activities.

– Efforts to expose students to a wide range of activities, often facilitated by professionals and field trips.

Build community engagement and teamwork

– Recognition of sports and physical activities as community-building tools that foster teamwork, cooperation, and positive relationships.

– Involvement of various stakeholders such as parents, professionals, athletes, and local facilities to enrich students’ experiences and promote belonging.

Educate and awareness

– Highlight the educational value of sports beyond physical skills, including skills like problem-solving, communication, and leadership.

– Interest in using sports as a platform for education, awareness, and life skills teaching.

Foster inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity

– Aim to ensure access for all students regardless of background or ability, especially females, Indigenous students, newcomers, and those with disabilities.

– Desire to include adapted and traditional games to promote inclusivity and empathy.

– Focus on providing specialized activities in remote areas.

Curriculum enhancement and enrichment

– Integration of physical activities into curriculum for holistic education and development.

– Emphasis on supporting educators, coaches, and professional development to elevate physical education quality.

– Introduction of innovative programs and technologies for engaging lessons.

Proposed projects will be evaluated based on their alignment with the following key criteria:

1. Increased Student Participation in Sport: Projects should demonstrate the potential to boost student engagement and involvement in sports.

2. Barrier Removal: Evaluation will consider the project’s effectiveness in removing barriers that hinder access to sports.

3. Safe and Inclusive Participation: Projects should prioritize the creation of safe, inclusive, and welcoming sport participation experiences for all students.

Certain additional aspects may further strengthen an application, but they are not mandatory for selection. Projects without these aspects still have an opportunity for consideration. These optional factors include:

– Population: Priority consideration for projects serving a higher proportion of equity-deserving student populations, particularly those disengaged from sport and physical activity.

– Financial Need: Consideration of the school’s financial situation and how grant funding could impact the project.

– Location: Assessment of how the school’s location may influence the project’s reach and impact.

– Diversity and Inclusion: Evaluation of the project’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

– Collaboration and Partnerships: Review of any collaborations and partnerships with local organizations that may enhance the project’s effectiveness.

– Project Sustainability: Preference for projects that outline sustainability plans beyond the grant funding.

While these factors may enhance an application, they are not mandatory, and all eligible projects will be considered for selection.

Application period: October 10 – November 10, 2023

Application deadline: November 10, 2023 – 23:59pm EST

School notification: December 11-15, 2023

Team Canada speaking engagement at school: February – April 30, 2023

Impact Report: June 2024

Terms and Conditions available here.

Download the complete Application Toolkit for more details on the 2024 Team Canada Olympic Day Grant program as well an opportunity to review the Application Questions and the Evaluation Scorecard prior to beginning.

Recognized annually on June 23, Olympic Day is a worldwide celebration of the Olympic Movement. Based on the pillars of “Move, learn, discover – Together for a better world”, Olympic Day  is a day to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. Below are some examples as to how you can integrate the Olympic Day Pillars into your project:

Themes for ‘Move’:

Promoting active lifestyles and physical wellbeing: Encouraging participation in diverse physical activities and sports, emphasizing the importance of regular movement for physical health and wellbeing, and providing opportunities for students to engage in year-round physical activities.

Inclusion and accessibility: Ensuring all students, including marginalized groups, can participate in sports and physical activities through creation of inclusive environments that promote active engagement for everyone.

Outdoor engagement and exploration: Using and enhancing outdoor spaces for activities like skating, hiking, and nature walks.

Themes for ‘Learn’:

Life skills development: Encouraging participation in sports to teach valuable life skills and Olympic Values like collaboration, decision-making, responsibility, respect, excellence, personal growth, and dedication.

Skill development and empowerment: Providing opportunities to learn new sport skills, techniques, and rules, thus enhancing self-confidence and determination. Highlighting the value of dedication and determination required for success in sports.

Cultural awareness and personal growth: Exposing students to diverse sports and activities, fostering cultural awareness and understanding. Recognizing sports’ contribution to personal development, confidence, and character-building.

Themes for ‘Discover’:

Exploring, discovering, and appreciating new activities: Encouraging students to engage in a variety of physical activities and sports and discover their interests and talents through exposure to new activities they may not be familiar with. This includes introducing students to non-traditional sports that include students from diverse backgrounds and promote cultural engagement.

Community engagement: Establishing partnerships and sports clinics for community engagement and providing opportunities for students to connect with mentors, athletes, and local businesses. 

Inclusive opportunities: Ensuring sports and activities are accessible to all students, regardless of backgrounds or abilities. 

Themes for ‘Together for a Better World’:

Unity through inclusive sports: Fostering a sense of community by engaging students from diverse backgrounds and abilities. Creating opportunities for students to come together, celebrate, and learn from one another through participation in diverse activities and sports.

Teamwork and values: Promoting social engagement, teamwork and values like respect and sportspersonship through sports and physical activities. 

Positive community impact: Using sports to connect students, form friendships, and build positive relationships in addition to contributing to a positive and supportive environment within the school and community.