Community partnerships play an integral role when planning for and delivering curricular and non-curricular opportunities for students in Health and Physical Education. By collaborating with partners outside of the school, such as recreational and cultural organizations, educators can enhance and add to students’ goals, aspirations, and achievements to build a well-rounded and inclusive educational experience.
Community organizations, such as disability sport organizations, can support inclusive physical activity programming by:
- Creating spaces for social interaction and skill development that can be catered to the student’s interests, regardless of skill or grade level
- Empowering families and caregivers and supporting with advocacy for the diverse needs of students with disabilities
- Offering specialized resources and opportunities beyond what may be available in an education setting
- Increasing confidence and supporting the mental health and well-being of students with disabilities in comfortable and safe environments
Educators can access the following resources to learn more about disability sport organizations in Ontario that can support with community connections and programming:
ParaSport Ontario Resource Hub
(Available in English)
Description: The ParaSport Ontario Resource Hub is an online tool that includes a resource library of parasports that support educators with finding local clubs and learning about sport classifications. There are also links to rules and teacher-friendly videos. For each ParaSport, “Your ParaSport Pathway” provides connections to past and current experts and ambassadors, which can help educators to support real-life examples of successful ParaSport athletes for students with and without disabilities.
Special Olympics Ontario
(Available in English and French)
Description: The Special Olympics Ontario website provides educators with rich community connections starting at home, the school level, and into the community. The “School Programs” section offers a calendar of event opportunities for Ontario elementary and secondary school students with disabilities that are both sport specific and general with fitness and skill-building in mind. Educators can explore the “Healthy at Home” resources to support students who may be learning from home and also provides an extensive list of healthcare providers who support students with disabilities and their families.