Schools Program

The Wheelchair Basketball Schools Program is designed to educate teachers and students about the sport of wheelchair basketball and encourage youth, with or without a disability, to be physically active. The inclusive program generates awareness for parasport and promotes positive attitudinal change toward disability.

Wheelchair Basketball Canada first launched the Schools Program in February 2014 as a legacy initiative of the 2014 Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championship.

Ontario Trillium FoundationThe Schools Program is possible thanks to the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). An agency of the Government of Ontario, the OTF is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, OTF awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario communities. For more information, please visit www.otf.ca.

Resource Guide

The Schools Program features an online Wheelchair Basketball Resource Guide that provides access to lesson plans that refer to the programming, equipment and instruction knowledge that are unique to the sport. The lesson plans are driven by the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Long-Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD). Teachers across the country can implement the lesson plans in the Resource Guide.

Demos and Sport Wheelchair Rentals

In collaboration with the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association (OWSA), a demonstration team will visit schools giving students a chance to try wheelchair basketball and connect with athletes in an interactive, inclusive, and informative way. The athlete role models will teach students about the value of goal-setting, the power of sport, and will encourage students of all abilities to embrace healthy, active lifestyles.

Following the school visit, participating schools have the opportunity to have 10-12 sport wheelchairs transported to the school to use for a week. This will provide an opportunity for more students to get to try the sport and experience playing wheelchair basketball.

Currently, these components of the Schools Program are only available to schools based in the Greater Toronto Area.

How To Register

Registration is now available for those schools located within the Greater Toronto Area. To register your class for this program please contact:

Shirka Shuriye
Schools Program Coordinator
Wheelchair Basketball Canada | Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association
416-564-2185
schoolsprogram@wheelchairbasketball.ca

Testimonial

Schools Program

“Our students, literally, were begging and screaming for more. They wanted to ask more questions, those who had a chance craved more time to try out the wheelchairs; those who didn’t get a chance were bouncing at the opportunity to hopefully have a turn. It was a hit, our gymnasium was electric. The students and staff loved it!!!

The students learned a valuable, hands-on lesson of the physical and mental strength it requires to be able-bodied within a wheelchair. Through this learning they demonstrated sincere respect and empathy for athletes and others living day-to-day with the aid of a wheelchair. As an added bonus, our staff got a chance to try a game of basketball, and they each certainly appreciated how good of a workout it is while having loads of fun!

The assembly promoted simple and powerful messages about ability, empathy, inclusion and perseverance, and we are thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be impacted by such meaningful messages.”

– Health and Physical Education Teacher, Toronto

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