 When the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) took the lead to put Canada on the map as a key participant in the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE) as declared by the United Nations, we hoped that our colleagues, partners and Canadians in general would become engaged and participate in celebrating this important event. Importantly, we wanted to ensure that schools across the country were informed and had the opportunity to build on the spotlight being placed on the importance of Physical Education to the healthy development of children and youth.
The results were remarkable. Not only were Canadians informed, but hundreds of special events and celebrations were held from coast to coast over the course of the year. These events were shared with CAHPERD, and were posted on this website for others to learn from and build on. In Canada, as is the same in much of the world, we are faced with a physical inactivity epidemic. The 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education has enabled us to bring more attention to this issue, and most importantly to the solutions. Government officials, school decision makers, educators, parents and the media have been targeted to make them more aware of the critical role of school quality Physical Education programs in teaching the knowledge and skills that all children need to be physically active, and their role in making this happen. CAHPERD is grateful to the United Nations for providing us with such an opportunity. Children and youth have a fundamental right to a quality Physical Education program. The 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education has allowed us to strengthen our voice to get this message heard. And the efforts will continue as we move forward to Keep the Physical in Education. The Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) is a national, charitable, voluntary-sector organization whose primary concern is to influence the healthy development of children and youth by advocating for quality health, physical education and sport experiences. Since its inception in 1933, CAHPERD has become recognized as the voice of physical and health education in Canada. For more information visit www.cahperd.ca. |
