What is the program about?

ACTIVATE is a national youth leadership program that aims to inspire and support the youth-led development and delivery of sport and active recreational programs in communities across Canada, while facilitating youth engagement and leadership in the process.

When and why was it developed?

ACTIVATE began in 2004 as Motivate Canada’s way of creating a Canada filled with active and healthy communities with highly involved and engaged youth leaders.

The program takes an innovative approach to fulfilling Motivate Canada’s Youth-Driven Development framework by creating a constantly expanding network of youth leaders that can spread their knowledge and empowerment to other youth. This generation of empowered youth can then work together in improving their respective communities in a way that is much more effective than an organization approaching on or two communities at a time.

How does it work?

The key piece of the program is an exciting 5-day leadership conference that brings together 40-50 young Canadians aged 16-22 from every province and territory in Canada to explore and develop their talents, skills and interests. The conference is developed and run by a group of past participants and consists of dynamic presentations, thoughtful and engaging workshops, and opportunities to network with some of Canada’s biggest sport and physical activity organizations.

After the conference has ended, the participants, now officially dubbed ACTIVATORS, return to their communities to begin an ACTIVATE IN ACTION project, which is a sport or active recreational program. Where the conference supplies the ACTIVATORS with the inspiration, skills, resources, network, and insight needed to develop their project, it is totally in the ACTIVATORS’ hands once the conference has ended: they decide on the project, how it will be run, and the amount of time and effort they invest.

Communication between Motivate Canada and the ACTIVATORS is sustained throughout the year, and those who develop a successful project or have gained experience they want to share can apply to be a volunteer to organize a future ACTIVATE conference.