November 2020
What we did
ASPIRE TO BE DEADLY created the LIVE WELL, LEARN WELL, LEAD WELL initiatives that included:
- Jan 2020 Mentor Program aligned with school and community to support Indigenous young women and girls use the sport of hockey to assist then in making positive changes to their well-being, education, and future opportunities
- Multi week hockey participation program at school or In a community group linked to access to role models and mentors to build relationships and connectivity and connects Into a School to Club Program which uses the new skills to build capacity and Integration Into mainstream community through membership of sporting club.
- 3 primary school and 2 high schools are delivering this program In Cairns and 5 Primary and 2 High School in Gulf Savannah remote NQ Qld
- Created a school curriculum supported resource to assist schools delivering
- Created supporting coaching resource
- March - May 2020 during COVID lockdown this was taken online with Face Book Live sessions included Hockey at Home and Talk to Aspire Mentor Sessions
- June - August as restrictions eased, we were Invited Into schools with special permission granted to continue the connectivity in person and strengthen the program
- The program runs support programs for family and friends so there Is support at home
- Included is access to transport - a community bus that acts to reduce one of the known barriers to active participation.
- July 2020 Cairns Hockey has created a community hockey hub after school and yarning place open to all young people where they can In a safe environment be part of workshops Including basic first aid, healthy eating with our partnership with Deadly Choices and opens up to share stories and If necessary we can connect with community services to coordinate additional family support.
- All the time learning hockey, being part of a team and connecting to the hockey family of Cairns
- March 2020 Began with 15 young girls under program pre COVID
- May 2020 After lockdown, this number doubled and as the program continued, there are now August 2020 - 42 Indigenous young women and girls and some of their families registered and playing regular hockey In Cairns and over 50 plus students part of the Gulf Program. Cairns Hockey has a COVID SAFE RETURN TO PLAY PLAN and the Aspire Program aligns and Implements this. The COVID PLAN Is found on the Cairns Hockey website www.cairnshockey.com.au
Why we did it
Cairns Hockey has a social responsibility outcome in its strategic plan and Aspire to be Deadly is a government funded program that supports this outcome. It is designed to advance inclusion, diversity and to break down the barriers around participation while supporting the identified indigenous young woman and girls to continue their education and support leadership and well-being programs.
LIVE WELL LEARN WELL LEAD WELL embodies the 3 main objectives and shows how hockey can be a vehicle to drive social change and support inclusive and embrace diversity within the community.
This initiative was also designed to support the need to be connected to this most vulnerable group during lock down and provide a connection with a mentor, to identify at risk issues and support mental health of these already disconnected young people.
This is unique because it includes access for remote community participants at the same time as regional participants.
While mainstream sport was suspended, this program was able to continue and adapt, develop, deliver, and strengthen through a commitment from the Aspire to be Deadly Team employed through Cairns Hockey.
How we know it worked
This program is evaluated regularly with a combination of data reporting, case study, feedback and survey and partner and participant discussion.
Jan 2020 - Live Well Learn Well Lead Well initiative was ready for delivery
https://cairnshockey.com.au/aspire/all-about-aspire/
https://cairnshockey.com.au/aspire/news-events/
https://www.indigenous.gov.au/news-and-media/stories/international-womens-day-2020
https://cairnshockey.com.au/aspire/resources-contacts/
- Feb/March - started delivery
- March COVID SHUTDOWN - had 15 participants registered in Cairns region and 3 schools in the Gulf committed but not started
- March - May - Digital On-Line Delivery started slowly but by May the on-line analytical data was showing almost 30 connections each session which included multiple participants each connection
- March- May - completed the resources required to assist school/participant and deliverer
- May- June - special permission received to deliver in school and this identified all the on-line participants and began virtual volunteering program connected to mentor support.
- July - August - with return to play we could identify SCHOOL TO PLAY participants and track them with hockey attendance sheets, bus pick- ups and school attendance.
- July- August - Hockey Australia seeking an MOU to collaborate and broaden LIVE WELL LEARN WELL LEAD WELL and Oceania Hockey Federation seeking an MOU to collaborate and broaden LIVE WELL LEARN WELL LEAD WELL Into Pacific Regions - education and training opportunities through
- Aspire to be Deadly which expands skills our mentors and team members.
September this part of the program will be reviewed with the view of driving these programs forward, expanding Aspire Schools Program and working on the identified opportunity virtual volunteering might be able to bring to Cairns Hockey
