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nba.com/jamsessionMore details at
Mark the date in your calendar to meet with friends or bring out the family and enjoy NBA entertainment in the heart of your city.
Each stop is a weekend event – Saturday features free activities to participate in and watch with NBA talent on site and free giveaways. Sunday is all ball, all day with a 3on3 tournament.
HALIFAX :: WATERFRONT, AUG 21–22MONTREAL :: CRESCENT STREET, SEPT 11–12WINNIPEG :: THE FORKS, SEPT 18–19CALGARY :: OLYMPIC PLAZA, SEPT 25–26VANCOUVER :: GRANVILLE SQUARE, OCT 2–3TORONTO :: YONGE-DUNDAS SQUARE, OCT 9–10
NBAHITSTHEROAD
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt FROM MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
BaCK to sCHool
It’s time to hit the books again, even for the stars of Degrassi
THE NEW YEAR:THE NEXT GENERATION
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no.1/august 2010
tVO’s guideMulti-platform teaching
phys-ed fi tAdvocating for healthy kids
post-secondary planningSaving with an ReSp
THE NEW YEAR:3FACTS
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt2 · AUGUSt 2010
“An education system that ensures students have the programs they need to succeed in school and beyond is central to our government.”
CHallenGes
When education is a priority, students succeed
Test scores were down, 27 million school days were missed, and 30 per cent of students were not graduating. Now, new provincial standards are raising the grade.
■ v v
”you can’t help but be touched by the social situation while you’re there.”
Raymon AblackHe builds schools around the world—when he isn’t acting on degrassi.
we recommend
pAGe 4
Green learning p. 5Make school environmentally-friendly.
Keeping kids fit p. 7Healthy bodies make for healthy minds.
bACK tO SCHOOL1St editiON, AUGUSt 2010
Country Manager: gustav [email protected] Manager: Jackie [email protected]
responsible for this issue:Publisher: christianne [email protected]: Penelope [email protected]:lisa de wilde, wazi dlamini-Kapenda, leona dombrowsky, Patricia ellingson, Jeremy Friedberg, ian hill, Kelsey o’toole, greg Pollock, tiffany threadgould, albe Zakes
Distributed within: national Post, august 2010this section was created by mediaplanet and did not involve the national Post or its editorial departments.
Mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial content that motivates them to act.
Earlier this summer I attended our “Literacy Fun for Families” event, a six-session “camp” designed by TVO in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Aimed at helping parents prepare their three-to-five-year-olds for school, the camp used TVO-created resources to teach families about reading, writing and math. I was thrilled to see how enthusiastically families engaged with the programs, web games and activities from our early learning block, Gisèle’s Big Backyard. And I was deeply proud when I heard parents say how much the camp helped them develop—or enrich—their own learning program at home.
To me, this was a tremendous illustration of the power of multi-platform digital media as a learning tool. Technology has transformed how children learn. With today’s digital learner at ease with TV, the internet and increasingly, mobile
devices, the question is no longer: Can all this media be good for our kids? The question now is: How can we use it most eff ectively to help our kids succeed in school and beyond?
Educational media has so much to off er young learners. Done well, it provides support to parents in their role as children’s fi rst teachers, and enhances the traditional classroom experience. Good television can inspire the imagination of our kids, motivate them to question, help and share, introduce them to the alpha-bet, expand their vocabulary and help them count. And just as impor-tant, it has to be entertaining.
But the broadcast is just the sparkplug. Websites and online resources like on-demand video, games and activities extend the learning experience by reinforcing learning concepts through repeti-tion and problem-solving, building critical thinking skills and encour-aging creativity. These online tools facilitate parent-child interaction and empower families to create time for learning opportunities in the
home. And in a digital world, multi-platform content makes “mobile learning” possible with educational resources available on your personal electronic devices.
Even better, innovative use of multi-platform content makes learning a borderless, shared experi-ence. Consider multi-player online games, idea-sharing forums such as wikis or interactive online events.
In the case of our literacy camp, we built a successful in-the-commu-nity event around our early-learning content, geared specifi cally toward helping new Canadian parents and preschoolers, from a greater-Toronto-area location.
With younger and younger kids accessing content on multiple plat-forms in ever-increasing numbers, the decisions you make as to what they consume are more important than ever. Whether you’re helping your child develop ABCs and 123s, cope with bullying and homework, or look for ways to help the envi-ronment, there is a wealth of good content out there to choose from to help you navigate these issues. I’m inspired by the endless possibilities for learning that educational media brings—and I hope you are too.
platforms for success
W hen our g o v e r n -m e n tcame to office in 2003 only 54 per cent
of students were meeting the provin-cial standard for literacy and numer-acy, more than 30 per cent of students left school without a diploma and students lost 27 million school days due to labour unrest.
Today, 65 per cent of students are meeting the provincial standard for literacy and numeracy —that means they are achieving a “B” or higher grade. The graduation rate now stands at 79 per cent—an 11 percent-age point increase since 2003, and students have progressed through their education with labour peace. In addition, I am pleased to say that test scores are up and class sizes are down with over 90 per cent of primary classes having 20 or fewer students.
We understood the importance of a strong publicly funded education
system as the foundation for the strength and prosperity of our people and our province as a whole. That is why we have made education a prior-ity. We made record investments—now totalling over $20 billion per year, a more than 40 per cent increase since 2003—and introduced new and innovative programs includ-ing Specialist High Schools Majors, expanded Co-op programs and dual credit programs that have worked to significantly increase student achievement levels, build back public confi dence and establish Ontario as a model for the world.
New anti-bullying legislation requiring all staff and principals to report serious incidents to parents and devise plans to resolve issues has helped make our schools safer and more welcoming for students.
Moving forwardWhen schools open this September, 35,000 of our youngest learners will attend the fi rst year of full-day kin-dergarten. This innovative program is
getting your child ready For school
Scope it out ■ Visit the school and classroom
where your child will be going and meet the teacher if possible.
Read regularly ■ Read with your child every day
(HIPPY Books and other books).
Bring it home ■ Transform your home into
a learning environment. Every object can be a source of discus-sion and learning e.g., cooking together, counting, sorting cut-lery, arts and crafts activities, etc.
Be enthusiastic ■ Talk positively about your own
school experience and let your child know how much fun they will have learning new things and making new friends.
Courtesy of HIPPY Books
the most signifi cant change to Ontar-io’s education system in generations. It will give our children more oppor-tunities to develop the academic and social skills that form the foundation for success in school and beyond. Full-day kindergarten is also coupled with extended-day programs, which can provide Ontario’s working fami-lies with more options for safe and engaging care for their children. Our government understands the importance of investments in our earliest learners and studies, includ-ing a recent Harvard University-led study, continue to illustrate the value of these investments.
Our responsibilityAn education system that ensures students have the programs they need to succeed in school and beyond is central to our government. Our education reforms to increase stu-dent success are delivering results as more students graduate, gain employment and contribute to Ontario’s economy.
Leona DombrowskyMinister of education
LISA DE WILD,Chief executive Offi cer, tVOPHOTO: COURTESY OF TVO
“technology has transformed how children learn.”
IN 2003, 30 PER CENT OF STUDENTS
LEFT SCHOOL WITHOUT A DIPLOMA
IN 2003, 30
1TIP/STEPFACT
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
BACK TO SCHOOL.WITH A TWIST!Available wherever books are sold and online.
As children, parents and teachers pre-pare for the 2010-2011 school year, it is impor-tant to consider what children really need to learn both in and out of school. While learning to read, do math and science is a given, what about their social development and relation-ship literacy?
Compared to other countries, Canada is fall-ing seriously behind in supporting children and youth to develop social skills and healthy relationships. In fact, the World Health Or-ganization places Canada in the bottom third of developed nations on bullying and victimi-zation. Why is this “fourth R” of relationships so important for Canadian children? More and more research points to the fact that starting at birth, children cannot develop in healthy ways without healthy relationships. Many of the problems that children and youth experi-ence, such as bullying, depression, substance use, delinquency and school dropout, often have their roots in troubled relationships. The solutions to these problems lie in promoting the relationship literacy of all children and youth, which is essential to building healthy lives, and a healthy society.
There are three critical steps to building healthy relationships for children and youth. First, all of us involved with children and youth must focus on the challenging and con-tinuous task of teaching healthy relationship skills and insuring that children are embed-ded in healthy relationships. Secondly, it is important to shift to a supportive educational approach, similar to that used to teach math or reading, in which we honour children’s mistakes and help them learn missing skills, rather than punishing or excluding them for relationship lessons they have not had or not mastered. Finally, there must be regular re-views, assessments of and accountability for relationship literacy as there are for reading, writing, arithmetic and science.
Adults have a central and essential role in helping children develop relationship litera-cy, which is grounded in the ability to under-stand and control emotions and behaviours. Adults are especially important in address-ing bullying problems, which are a “red flag” for relationship problems. Children who bul-ly need support in understanding the impact of their behaviours and the importance of
relating positively to others. Children who are victimized require protection from bullying and support in developing social confidence and positive friendships. Children who stand by and watch bullying without helping need support in recognizing that their behaviour is part of the problem and coaching on what they can do to stop bullying. Adults must al-so be aware of and shape the social dynamics in children’s groups to ensure that marginal-ized children are included and that groups of children do not use their power aggressively. All children need to be able to think of many different ways to solve social problems, build social connections, social status, and positive leadership.
Unlike learning to read or to do math, where there is a step-by-step process, the lessons for successful social interactions are much more complex. Children need to develop an under-standing of not only their own behaviours and emotions, but also others’ behaviours and emotions. The others with whom children in-teract are highly variable and often unpredict-able: even a single person varies from day to day in warmth, responses, and emotions. To achieve relationship literacy, children and youth require positive role models and con-sistent, ongoing, positive moment-to-mo-ment coaching to help them learn how to re-late to others, be successful in achieving social goals, and use power positively, rather than negatively. This is the responsibility for all of us involved in the education of children and youth at home, at school, and in our commu-nities.
For more information and resources on how you can play an active role in promoting rela-tionship literacy go to www.prevnet.ca.
Back to school: Reading, writing... and relationships?
Dr. Debra Pepler,York University and Dr. Wendy Craig, Queen’s UniversityScientific Co-directors, PREVNet
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt4 · AUGUSt 2010 AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
Question: Why does this young actor continue to get involved with international volunteer opportunities?Answer: He believes that understanding is the key to cultural diversity; and understanding is just as easy to demonstrate asits opposite.
Cultural diversity in schooland around the globe
He is a twenty-year-old actor from Toronto, Ontario and a psychology stu-dent at Ryerson University, but there is much more to discover about the well-spoken Raymond Ablack. There is always more to learn about the people you know; and you might recognize Raymond from the popular television show Degrassi, where he plays a high school student, Sav Bhandari.
When he joined the show in its sev-enth season, Degrassi had been doing a lot of charity work but they were, “look-ing to dedicate their eff orts to one cause to make a greater impact in one specifi c area,” explains Raymond. Degrassi and an organization called Free The Chil-dren, founded by Canadian brothers and international child rights activists Craig and Marc Kielburger were the per-fect union. Free The Children’s motto, “Children helping children through education,” fi t brilliantly with the cast of Degrassi volunteers.
“On Degrassi we play students and I know we’re not always doing school work, but we are helping each other to solve problems,” Raymond says as
he emphasizes the exceptional match between the student actors and their mission. Raymond originally signed up for Degrassi’s fi rst voluntourism trip through Me to We Trips, visiting Free The Children projects to get to know his new cast mates (and to experience a for-eign place without his parents). How-ever, when you open yourself to learn-ing, you never know what you will fi nd.
CommunicationVisiting Kenya to build a school in 2007, Raymond recounts the moment where he and his fellow volunteers pulled up to the community. “Everyone came up to say ‘Hi’,” he says. He compares this welcome to the ones with which he is accustomed—where his family, or only the people he knew, waved and spoke to him.
“I went for selfi sh reasons,” Raymond admits, “yet you can’t help but be touched by the social situation while you’re there.”
During the warm welcome to Kenya, Raymond took a photo of two boys and when they saw their picture on his camera they began conversing in Swahili. With limited knowledge of the language, Raymond interacted as best
he could, but mostly just laughed. The laughter proved contagious.
Learning“I saw real happiness in these people,” Raymond says as he describes the feel-ing of a happiness based on interac-tion with others as opposed to material goods. “This reminded me of how mate-rialistic, greedy and conceited we can be here; as there I saw two children who seemed to be viewing their refl ection for the fi rst time.
“I do not think cultural diversity is hard to teach,” he continues. “No one is born with innate hatred; it is taught, and it is just as easy to teach understanding.”
Less is more “I am tired of tolerance,” Raymond states as he suggests that we need less of it in our defi nition of cultural diversity. He means tolerance is defi nitely not enough and is, “unacceptable when understand-ing is what is needed.”
Degrassi continuously reiterates this point, as well as demonstrating stories that correlate to daily headlines and the average issues of today’s students. For example, Raymond’s character
Sav and his sister are Muslim and the show, “delves into [their] family life,” and explores culture, tackling many challenges diff erent kinds of people encounter every day.
No hesitation and no expectationSince their visit to Kenya, Raymond and his friends have traveled to Ecuador in 2008 to refurbish a school and, most recently, the crew departed August 14 to build another school, this time in India. The members of the volunteer group raise the funds to travel on their own, hosting activities such as benefi t concerts with Raymond’s band SoundSpeed. “Great peo-ple come out for a great cause,” he says. He also encourages getting a larger group to fundraise all together. “It is easier, faster and more enjoyable to work towards a goal as a group.”
As for what he anticipates most about his upcoming voyage to India, Raymond says, “I try to stay away from expecta-tions—that way I get there and I just soak everything up!”
leader to leader
inspiration
KELSEY O’TOOLE
Raymond Ablack
■ Age: 20 ■ Position:
actor, musician ■ Education:
Psychology, ryerson university
■ Charity Initia-tives: Free the children: Kenya 2007, ecuador 2008, india 2010
degrassi airs daily
monday-thursday at
9 pm et on muchmusic.
ProFile
Photo: Stephen Scott, cour-tesy of Epitome Pictures Inc.
RAYMOND VISITED KENYA
TO BUILD A SCHOOL IN 2007
RAYMOND
2FACT
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt AUGUSt 2010 · 5
inspiration
Slay vampires
1Just because it is off doesn’t mean it is not using energy. Appliances that are left
plugged in still use energy. The big-gest offenders are cell phone and computer chargers. If you are not using a charger, unplug it!
Do the worm
2Composting with worms can be fun, educational and is good for the planet. You
can turn your paper and food waste into organic fertilizer for your gar-den, simply by operating a worbox. Plus the slimy little guys will quickly become a part of your fam-ily! Learn how at www.wormcom-posting.ca.
Get trashed
3Lots of common household waste can be reused during the school year. Newspaper
or paper bags become book covers, yogurt cups become crayon holders, and even last year’s sports jersey can become this year’s backpack. See these and more easy DIY proj-ects at: www.replayground.com/pages/diy/diyhome.asp
All together now
4The age-old practice of car-pooling has a whole new meaning in this carbon-
critical world. Now you can save time, money and gas, all while your kids build friendships in the back-seat!
Be a paper pusher
5So much paper is wasted during the school year. Most notebooks are only
ever half-used. Salvage those note-books from last year but cutting out (and composting) the used pages and have your kids reuse the remaining pages before buying a new notebook.
ways to stay green at school
5
Dental professionals can spot early signs of problems if you visit regularly!
Tooth decay is a serious disease!
■■ It starts on the surface of the teeth and continues to get worse
■■ Can cause permanent damage in as little as 6 months1
■■ Can cause sensitivity■■ Ultimately may mean drilling, fill-
ings or crowns
What causes tooth decay?
■■ Not flossing and brushing every day at home
■■ Foods and drinks with too much sugar
■■ Braces, retainers, and bridges you already have can attract bacteria that causes decay
■■ Putting infants to bed with drinks containing sugar
■■ Moms can pass on the bacteria that causes decay to their kids
■■ Using any form of tobacco
Fight tooth decay with proper care.Your Dental Professional may recommend:
■■ A power toothbrush■■ A special toothpaste, such as Clin-
pro 5000 toothpaste■■ A special oral rinse■■ Floss every day to remove plaque
between teeth■■ Fluoride treatment, such as Vanish
white varnish
Talk to your Dental Professional! Don’t forget to mention if you have:
■■ Sensitivity – this can be an
indicator of a bigger problem.■■ Tender, swollen, red and/or bleed-
ing gums – this can be a sign of gum disease!
… and don’t miss ap-pointments with your Dental Professional!There are numerous products that can help combat and treat cavities, sensitivity, and prevent white spots from developing around braces.
Talk to your Dental Professional about Clinpro 5000 toothpaste, Clin-pro sealant, Vanish white varnish, and Vanish XT extended contact var-nish.
PAID FOR BY 3M Canada www.3M.ca
Avoid drilling, filling and tooth loss with early detection
educational games: why they’re a great learning tool
Personalized learning
1JGames appeal to all learn-ing styles (visual, auditory, tactile) and give students
the ability to learn at their own pace.
Learning anywhere, anytime!
2More and more educational games are delivered online, allowing students the flex-
ibility to take theirlearning outside the classroom.
Continuous on-going assessment
3Educational games track a variety of metrics and can provide both instant feed-
back and track a student’s progress, skills, and abilities over time.
Engagement
4 Today’s educational games are built to compete with mainstream video games,
with rich 3D graphics and anima-tions and engagingmissions and storylines.
Fun and games
5Games are a natural way to learn and they promote discovery-based learning,
creativity, problem-solving, collab-oration, and literacy skills.
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt6 · AUGUSt 2010 AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
Brampton, Don Mills, Central Toronto, Edison (NJ), Markham, Mississauga, North York, Oakville,
Ottawa, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Toronto, Vancouver, Vaughan, Winnipeg
2009 Mathematica Champions
1 - 8 6 6 - S M S - M AT H ( 7 6 7 - 6 2 8 4 )[email protected]
ww w . s p i r i t o f m a t h . c o m
Setting the Standard for over 25 yearsIntensive after-school math classes taught by university educated, professional teachers using a unique curriculum designed to challenge and motivate high-achieving students.
panel of expertsJeremy Friedbergco-Founder and Partner, spongelab interactive
Question 1:How has technology shaped today’s children and how has it created empowered learners?
Question 2:What role does green innovation play within the advancement of education? (Teaching green to children to create a sustainable future.)
Question 3:What social responsibility do communities hold in ensuring a better future for all children?
Ian Hillchairman,let them Be Kids
Patricia Ellingson creative head,children’s media, tVo
Again, this is about empowerment. For-tunately, sustainability initiatives are becom-ing a regular part of our children’s’ daily lives. However, this is about children truly understanding the complexities of our envi-ronment; that it’s not only about recycling, green roofs and compact fluorescent lights.It involves complex socio-political and economic issues and generational atti-tudes. A sustainable future is only possible with a massive overhaul in our thinking, our behaviour and our policie and it beings at the centre of all of our communities. We must encourage and create initiatives that let us, with our children, be empowered about actu-ally making change, and not impede them with generational rhetoric.
“The seeds we plant today will bear fruit.” I believe this truism holds when teaching children stewardship of all resources that they one day will be responsible for. Providing school-aged kids with real world learning opportunities and meaningful experiences allows them to see the cause and effect of what they personally do and how it can make a tangible difference. Through these initiatives we also teach the invaluable lessons of the interdependence of all humans on the planet.
TVOKids took on the “green challenge” long before it became a trend. For years, we’ve provided kids with simple, solution-oriented ideas around things like energy conservation, waste reduction and protecting the environ-ment. As tomorrow’s citizens, kids will be the ones “fixing” today’s challenges, but we don’t want them to feel defeated by such daunting problems. Our goal is to give them a place to start, provide safe forums in which they can discuss their concerns, and help them make decisions on how to effect change in their own communities.
We are undoubtedly responsible for our actions and our legacy. I think most would agree that we need to make fundamental changes to the way we do things. It’s not easy, nor is it debatable in 85 words or less, but that’s no excuse! Our children will inevi-tably inherit the mess that is left, but they certainly don’t need to inherit our limita-tions and resistance to change. Part of our responsibility is to be an example, embrace opportunities that can harness their ideals and openness to aid them in creating a new and sustainable future.
We have moral obligation to build the best community we possible can for all children (someone did it for us). It is our responsibil-ity to set aside petty differences, step outside of silos and unite around the common goal of building thriving communities. This means I must give time, talent and treasure. It is not the elected official’s job exclusively to build my kid a community; it is my job, your job… our job to work together to build our children a brighter future.
As providers of educational media, our mis-sion is to provide an enriched learning space for kids wherever they are: online or watch-ing television. We consider TVOKids to be very much a part of the greater community of schools, libraries and other educational insti-tutions, all of which play a role in helping parents help their kids succeed in school and in life. We need to ensure our community is a safe, positive environment that builds kids’ skills and confidence in their growing years.
By encouraging creativity and critical thinking! These are the most important skills children must cultivate to be successful. The big question is, how do you teach something like creativity and then how do you effec-tively assess it? The answer is, you can’t. But you can create environments that allow a learner to discover and grow these skills for themselves and observe over time how they adapt and progress through these environ-ments. Advances in simulation and game-based learning are providing these learning environments with meaningful content and the opportunity for informed assessment that effectively support their process.
Today’s kids are more sophisticated than ever before; with a move of a mouse they can travel the world, seeing and hearing any-thing they want in just one “click”. This pro-vides tremendous opportunity and a series of potential challenges. When we teach kids how to use the tool of technology to expand their world, gain insight, to both inquire and acquire knowledge, we teach them well and prepare them for the 21st century. Always keeping in mind that physical wellness, cre-ative play and relational interpersonal skills are all key to a young person becoming the solid citizen of tomorrow.
Technology has transformed how we learn and has inspired all of us at TVO to engage our audience—kids in particular—in different ways. Our research shows that 2-to 11-year-olds and their parents spend more and more time online. And with the Internet, [PlayStation}PSPs, iPhones and more plat-forms than we could have ever dreamed of, competing for a young learner’s attention is more challenging than ever. It’s up to us as content providers to stay ahead of the curve, anticipate kids’ needs and be there first, with content that challenges and entertains them on all platforms.
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt AUGUSt 2010 · 7
Let Them Be Kids is a volunteer driven non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing smiles, laughter and the joy of play to kids, while acting as a catalyst to help build community capacity on the grassroots level.
To meet this mission LTBK provides fi nancial and other tangible support to help build playgrounds, skate parks and fi tness parks across Canada with special consideration given to com-munities of less than 15,000. All LTBK projects are community-driven, kid-designed and community-built under the guidance and tutelage of certifi ed professional and trained volunteers. All LTBK projects are named after a fallen Canadian soldier, a fallen fi rst responder or a local community hero.
LTBK was started over a decade ago by Ian and Gina Hill in an attempt to
help the children living in poverty in their own community. The concept was that if adults did their jobs in help-ing to build strong families, neighbor-hoods and communities, then the kids could just be kids, hence the name Let Them Be Kids.
In 2007, the program launched across Canada when LTBK identifi ed a deep need across the country; groups, large and small, needed assistance in securing of funds for the building of play structures for children who may not have the availability of safe, secure places to play.
This challenge, combined with the well established fact that most posi-tive community change is driven by the local community themselves, provided an outstanding opportunity to develop a “hands-on” learning pro-cess that would increase the capacity of local citizens to build a better future for the next generation. This process
involves citizens participating in the organizing, designing and building a community-built playground or skate park. The result is a new safe and secure play and fi tness opportunity as well as increased community capacity, resiliency and pride.
Let Them Be Kids off ers two awards of support: the Kool-Aid Smile award and Helping Hands award.
Kool-Aid Smile awardees receive $5000 seed cash toward their equip-ment needs and both awards provide a 50/50 match opportunity that gives the community a dollar of equipment buying power for every 50 cents they raise, which helps to signifi cantly cover the costs of the structure and equipment for building a new play-ground, skate park or outdoor fi tness park.
All awarded project also receive: A Let Them Be Kids Coach/Mentor who works with the community from start
to fi nish, a Let Them Be Kids Project Road Map that acts a framework for success, and Design and Construction Support to provide awardees with all they will need from a design and installation stand point. Access to the Let Them Be Kids-Education Program provides the meaningful information and tangible tools needed to make it happen. They also receive the Let Them Be Kids Marketing Kit, a com-prehensive set of eff ective tools to get the word out and your own Let Them Be Kids Web Page so that awardees can tell the story across Canada.
Applications are now begin accepted for 2011 award cycle, interested com-munities, schools or those who are working to bring the joy of play to kids should go to www.ltbk.ca and submit an application by September 30 2010.
resps: invest now, reap the rewards
The importance of playAchieving balance is not always easy, with convenience
and health concerns weighing in on their respective ends of the prover-bial teeter totter. However, the pro-motion of play seems to be a base for the sculpting of a healthy child. “Refreshments Canada members believe in encouraging healthy active lifestyles that balance calo-ries in to calories out,” says Com-munications Director Alan Grant. As Refreshment Canada represents a variety of beverages such as vita-min water, juice and soda-pop, the thing to keep in mind is that there is room for it all—everyone deserves a treat, but incorporating regular physical activity is the key.
Refreshing variety
“We are proud to do our part to support healthy and active
lifestyles for both the young and the young at heart,” states Refresh-mentcanada.ca. “A moderate, bal-anced diet, combined with daily physical activity is so important.” In addition to, “providing easy access to calorie and nutrition information, promoting physical activity, and beverage innovation,” Refreshment Canada members sponsor various initiatives for young people, such as developmen-tal programs, sports and other com-munity-based activities. Getting involved in activities and playing with friends and family keep chil-dren moving towards the future in the best form possible.
Keeping it interesting
Group sports are a way to involve kids in play, and to
keep them engaged in exercise. “Basketball is open for anyone, you can play by yourself, with a friend, two-on-two, five-on-five, boys, girls—it has a very broad appeal,” explains Jonathan Chang, who is heading the NBA Jam Session ini-tiative this Fall. NBA Jam Session will be stopping in cities across the country and seeks to, “foster a love of the game, and of fi tness,” says Chang. The broad appeal and non-competitive nature of the event bring together some of the best ath-letes in the world to help promote the importance of physical activity for everyone: all talents, genders, and age groups. The three-on-three tournament off ers categories that range from 12 and under, to 19 plus, men and women, girls and boys. The NBA dance clinic will inspire per-formances by both professionals and volunteer participants—reminding us that entertainment is a major part of physical activity. Trying new things, and exploring tastes and talents help children to fi nd an activity that keeps them interested and enthusiastic about regular play.
KELSEY O’TOOLE
recess: an imPortant Part oF learning
neWs
The responsibilities of being a par-ent are nearly endless. Ranging from providing everything newborns need to registering children in minor sports and the arts, there are many priorities and options to choose from. Clearly, most parents seek to provide every opportunity possible to their children…with one exception: post-secondary education.
It is evident that Canadians are not taking full advantage of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and the government subsidies available once an RESP is established. Accord-ing to a Statistics Canada study, 68 per cent of respondents said they had saved funds for their children to pursue studies at the post-secondary level. Of those who had set aside funds, 69 per cent held them in RESPs.
Since about two-thirds of respon-dents had post-secondary education savings, Canadians can be somewhat confi dent about their children being able to pay for their studies. However, these facts parallel larger issues con-fronting Canadians related to ade-quate fi nancial planning to meet life goals. Since only 55 per cent of Canadi-
ans save funds on a regular basis and one-third do not have a savings plan in place at all, are Canadians integrat-ing RESPs into their larger fi nancial strategy in the most eff ective ways possible?
These challenges are particularly
acute when examining low-income families’ eff orts to save funds for post-secondary studies. In spite of the fact that a 2008 study by EKOS Research found that low income families’ num-ber one priority when saving funds was to save for a child’s education,
only 54 per cent of respondents were aware of RESPs. In addition, only one-third of respondents knew of Canada Education Savings Grants (CESGs), and 10 per cent had of heard of the Canada Learning Bond (CLB).
In a country where knowledge is arguably our most precious resource, these numbers are troubling, but the tools are readily available to do better. The CESGs and the CLB are essentially supplementary funds for contribu-tions made to an RESP. For a family with an income as low as $38,000 per year, a contribution of $150 in one year could result in $560 added to the RESP through CESGs and the CLB. If the family’s income does not change and this strategy is employed throughout the fi rst 17 years of a child’s life, $8,200 will be available when the child enrols in a post-secondary institution (assuming a four per cent annual rate of return). Smaller subsidies are avail-able for families with higher income levels.
Establishing an RESP is not dif-fi cult; with the help of a fi nancial professional, it’s easy. Consumers can look to a licensed professional to create a fi nancial plan that takes full advantage of the benefi ts of an RESP while establishing strategies to meet their life’s fi nancial goals.
“it is evident that Canadians are not taking full advan-tage of Registered education Savings plans.”
Greg Pollackpresident and CeO, Advocis
■ Question: How can you be sure that your child can aff ord to have a post-secondary education?
■ Answer: Establishing an RESP is an easy way to create a fi nancial plan to help them reach their educational and fi nancial goals.
showcase
!
GREGORY POLLACK
let them be kids
IAN HILL
What you need to know to start an RESP
How to choose an advisor: ■ an advisor must have a license
or registration with a regulatory body
■ advisors should adhere to a code of professional conduct and hold a designation (e.g. cFP, clu, rhu)
■ advisors are encouraged to hold more than adequate professional liability insurance coverage (legal requirements vary by province)
How to establish an RESP: ■ all funds invested in an resP
appreciate tax-free but contribu-tions are not tax deductable
■ contributions may be eligible for the canada learning Bond (clB) and are eligible for canada edu-cation savings grant (cesg) pay-ments
■ when the resP is established, the child who would use the resP funds must be less than 18 years of age
■ anyone can open an resP for someone less than 18 years of age
Facts
ONE-THIRD OF CANADIANS
DO NOT HAVE A SAVINGS PLAN
IN PLACE
resps: invest now, ONE-THIRD OF
3TIP/STEPFACT
