In 2012, the NLL partnered with Right To Play to create a unique lacrosse-centric program to empower Indigenous children in Canada. The resulting Lacrosse for Development program uses specialized lacrosse activities to engage youth in programming that helps develop their lacrosse skills, enhance their leadership capacity, and understand the importance of sportsmanship and fair play. The program also engages NLL players through visits to partner communities, where they help deliver lacrosse activities that showcase the game, educate children and youth on its cultural history, and inspire them to get active by making lacrosse part of their daily lives. To date, the program has reached over 1,600 Indigenous children and youth across 32 communities from British Columbia to Ontario, engaging 20 different NLL players.
In addition to direct Lacrosse for Development program support, the NLL and Right To Play have partnered over the last few years to raise awareness and funds. This partnership has included Right To Play nights in arenas across North America, jersey donations, and team-led fundraising and awareness-raising initiatives which have given children in Right To Play programs around the world access to vital play-based education.
About Right To Play
Right To Play protects, educates and empowers children through the power of play.
Headquartered in Canada, we are a global organization committed to improving the lives of children and youth affected by conflict, disease and poverty. Our unique play-based approach to learning and development uses play in all of its forms – games, creative play, sport, free play – to engage children in programs that focus on making a positive impact in quality education, health and well-being, gender equality, child protection and building peaceful communities. Led by 70,000 trained local teachers and volunteer Coaches, Right To Play’s cost-effective, sustainable, and life-changing programs reach more than one million children worldwide each week.
In Canada, programming includes the Promoting Life-skills in Aboriginal Youth (PLAY) program, which partners with more than 85 Indigenous communities and urban organizations across the country to run weekly play-based programs that build self-confidence while providing access to physical activity, healthy food, homework support, mentorship and skills training. Canadian programming also includes Youth To Youth (Y2Y), a Toronto based program that trains and empowers older students to lead games and activities for younger children.
To learn more visit www.righttoplay.ca, follow @RightToPlayCAN on Twitter and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.