February 23, 2010

Media advisory

Paralympic torch bearer Josh Vander Vies to speak in Orleans schools

Born without arms or legs, Josh Vander Vies is one of the most inspiring athletes on the Esteem Team. An accomplished international boccia ball player holding an honours BA in Political Science and French at the University of Western Ontario, Josh competed in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens and will have the honour to carry the Paralympic Torch during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games opening ceremony on March 12.

Always keen to speak to youth and inspire them to follow their dreams, no matter what difficulties they face, Josh will be launching the Esteem Team’s goal-setting program on February 24 and 25 in Orleans, Ontario. The schedule will be as follows:

February 24 at 12:50 PM: Fallingbrook Community Elementary School

February 25 at 9:15 AM: Carine Wilson Secondary School

February 25 at 12:10 PM: St Matthew High School

Media and members of the public wishing to attend are invited to contact:

Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

Communications Manager, Motivate Canada

(613) 789-3333 ext. 232

eleonore@motivatecanada.ca

A Motivate Canada program, the Esteem Team is made up of a group of top-level athletes from across Canada that deliver a positive message of goal setting and living a healthy and active lifestyle through their personal stories.

For more information on Josh, please consult: http://www.esteemteam.com/files/athlete/biographies/Josh%20Vander%20Vies.pdfand http://www.joshvandervies.com/.

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January 6, 2010

Jogging minds: “Brain Gains” pilot to launch in Barrie on Friday

Motivate Canada and Allandale Heights Public School will launch a pilot program in Barrie, Ontario on Friday January 8, which aims to get youth more physically active in their classrooms. The program was inspired by the CBC documentary “Brain Gains” which highlights the link between physical activity and intellectual development, concentration and motivation.

The event will begin at 9:00 AM at Allandale Heights Public School. Speakers include Esteem Team athletes and youth motivational speakers Kara Zakrzewski and Brian Nugent, who will give energetic presentations to students and staff members. Students and athletes alike will have the chance to try the new sports equipment at the school, which includes a treadmill, exercise bikes and a wii fit module.

The initiative has been driven by Sonya White, Special Education Teacher at Allandale Heights. She began preparing her class of 11 students aged 10 to 13 in September, having them do 12 minutes of physical activity at the beginning of each day.  “Their level of attention increased, they felt good and were focussed” says White.

Motivate Canada is now collaborating with the school, providing funding for sports equipment, as well as the support of its Esteem Team athletes. “I saw the documentary and immediately started searching for schools that might be interested in piloting this concept” says Mark Sluban, Esteem Team Program Manager at Motivate Canada. “Sonya White contacted us and it was a perfect fit”.

After the launching presentation on Friday, the youth will move on to 25 minutes of physical activity at the beginning of each school day and will track their athletic and academic progress until June 2010.

“Personally and professionally, the best reward is seeing how these kids are excited to come to school every day. I can’t wait to see how the students are able to build a greater sense of personal power, setting new goals for their future, whether they are academic goals or personal goals” adds White.

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November 19, 2009

Amber Konikow, Boxer - engages with youth at St. John Catholic School in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

Click Image to see article

Media contact:

Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

613-789-3333 ext. 232

eleonore@motivatecanada.ca

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October 15, 2009

Motivate Canada recruits athletes for Esteem Team training session in November

Motivate Canada is recruiting top-level athletes to join its national Esteem Team roster. Olympic, Paralympic or national-level athletes that complete a two-day training session on public speaking to youth will be qualified to conduct Esteem Team presentation in schools in their community. The next training session will take place at the Sask Sport offices in Regina on November 7 and 8.

“The Esteem Team has opened the doors for me to speak to youth at elementary and high schools all over Ontario and I am so proud to be part of such a great organization” says Tom Hipsz, member of the Esteem Team and former CFL player.

“These presentations are extremely rewarding for athletes and students alike” adds Mark Sluban, Esteem Team Program Manager.

Every year, members of the Esteem Team give 600 presentations to youth throughout Canada, inspiring them to set objectives for themselves and follow their dreams.

“Tyler taught me to believe in myself and listen to my heart” says Molly, a Grade 7 student in Vancouver who attended a presentation by Tyler Mosher, an adaptive snowboarder living in Whistler. Current athletes from the Prairie Provinces include: Kent Brown, Jethro Bartelings, Troy Westwood and Katrina Rosen.

Athletes joining the roster will receive an honorarium for their presentations and will be supported by Motivate Canada as they develop their public speaking skills. Space is limited, so those wishing to attend the November training session should contact Mark Sluban as soon as possible (613-789-3333 ext. 225; mark@esteemteam.com).

Motivate Canada is a not-for-profit organization specializing in the development of youth-driven programs that help young people meet life’s challenges and reach their full potential. A Motivate Canada program, the Esteem Team is made up of a group of top-level athletes from across Canada that deliver a positive message of goal setting and living a healthy and active lifestyle through their personal stories.

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Media contact:

Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

613-789-3333 ext. 232

eleonore@motivatecanada.ca

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September 24, 2009

Former football player scores with youth

Read an article about Esteem Team member Mark Hatfield, published in Ottawa's Kitchissippi Times.

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September 9, 2009

Esteem Team program launch on September 11

 The Esteem Team is embarking on its 16th year of inspiring Canadian youth to set goals for themselves and accomplish their dreams. On September 11, Justin Abdou, an Olympic wrestler; Nick Ugoalah, a Commonwealth games champion wrestler; Josh Vander vies, a Paralympic Boccia player; T-K Fraser, an NCAA Track and Field racer; and Mark Hatfield, a former NFL (Miami Dolphins) and CFL (BC Lions) player, will be speaking in schools in British Columbia and Ontario.

Throughout the year, Olympic, Paralympic and national athletes will share their stories of perseverance, failure and triumph with students of all ages and will encourage them to sign up to the Get Fit Challenge and become part of a national physical activity goal-setting community.

“With Canada hosting the world at the Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver in February, this year has been especially exciting and busy for the Esteem Team,” says Mark Sluban, Program Manager of the Esteem Team at Motivate Canada.

“A lot of teachers and principals are working around various Olympic themes within their school’s curriculum and we are often the perfect fit.”

This year, 103 presentations have already been booked. During the 2008-2009 school year, 48 athletes gave presentations in 599 schools throughout the country. Since 1994, over 1.5 million young people have been motivated by the committed and energetic members of the Esteem Team.

The September 11 presentations will take place in the following schools:

Justin Abdou: Boundary Elementary School, North Vancouver, British Columbia

Nick Ugoalah: Hampton Park Elementary School, Coquitlam, British Columbia

Josh Vander vies: Dorothy Lynas Elementary School, North Vancouver, British Columbia

TK Fraser: Allandale Heights Public School, Barrie, Ontario

Mark Hatfield: Notre Dame High School, Ottawa, Ontario

Motivate Canada is a national youth-driven development and engagement organization. Its four programs – the Esteem Team, ACTIVATE, Gen7 and the Active Circle – foster positive development in Canadian youth.

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Journalists should contact Motivate Canada before going to the presentations in order to obtain permission from the schools.

Media contact:

Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

Communications Manager, Motivate Canada

(613) 789-3333 ext. 232

eleonore@motivatecanada.ca

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September 1, 2009

In partnership with Sport Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, the Esteem Team, a program of Motivate Canada, is in search of National Team Athletes that are interested in receiving complimentary training on Public Speaking, specifically to a youth audience.  Those athletes that complete the 2-day course will then qualify to join the Esteem Team Roster of athletes and receive honorariums for conducting the Esteem Team presentations at schools in your home community.

Our next two-day training session will be taking place in Toronto, Ontario on Saturday, September 26 from 10 am to 5 pm & Sunday, September 27 - 10 am to 5 pm.  If you are a national level athlete and are interested in joining our roster of athletes while receiving a valuable life-skill that can be used to give back to your community, than please reserve your spot today by contacting the Esteem Team Program Manager. *space is limited

More information on the Esteem Team program including a directory of athletes on our roster across Canada please visitwww.esteeemteam.com .

Mark Sluban - Program Manager, ESTEEM Team Program

mark@esteemteam.com                                             

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ESTEEM TEAM - RECAP 2008-2009

Updated July 2, 2009

The 2008-09 school year has come to an end and what a year it has been for the ESTEEM TEAM! The past 12 months has seen us develop a new core of athletes in various parts of the country including new communities, not to mention a bumper crop of new athletes in established communities.

The later part of the school year saw a partnership with ParticipACTION, SOGO ACTIVE - ONTARIO, and Coca-Cola Canada in using the ESTEEM TEAM's ability to reach youth across Ontario to encourage them to register for their youth initiative component of the "2010 Olympic Torch Relay" (ages 13-19). We were very successful and Ontario registrations were through the roof! Subsequently word spread to the other SOGO ACTIVE Provincial Reps, resulting in partnerships with BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick. All-in-all, the partnership resulted in over 10,000 youth registering in only a couple of mothns, and much of this was attested to the work of the ESTEEM TEAM and our athletes.

We were also proud to have had ESTEEM TEAM Athlete, Tom Hipsz selected as the first person in the city of Toronto to carry the flame when it arrives in the GTA on December 17, 2009. CONGRATS TOM!!! *see media release below

ESTEEM TEAM - Looking Ahead 2009-2010

The next school year is looking very promising as we plan to pilot a new fitness and health initiative to assist schools in getting their students more active. The initiative aims to show educators how physical activity increases the ability to beat stress, sharpen thinking, enhance memory, increase self-esteem, increase grades and much more.

*check-out this CBC Documentary "BRAIN GAINS" that helped spearhead the planned project, it truly is amazing.

We are also enhancing the legacy of the "ESTEEM TEAM - Goal Setting Program" by developing a new "Online Goal Setting Program" on our website. As per norm, the ET Athlete encourages youth to set goals and the web-site will allow youth to register their goals and the respective time-lines. Our automated system will assist in reminding and motivating the youth to achieve the steps needed to accomplish their goals. Furthermore, we will be able to track the success rate of the program and, where there is a fit, encourage them to take part in other Motivate Canada programs such as the Activate - National Youth Conference and GEN7, the Aboriginal youth role model program.

This summer is going to be a busy one as we prepare for the next school year with these and other new initiatives!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ESTEEM TEAM ATHLETE TOM HIPSZ NAMED TORONTO'S FIRST OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER

Ottawa, March 31, 2009 - MOTIVATE CANADA and our ESTEEM TEAM Program - Canada's Goal Setting Program for Youth - are proud to announce that ESTEEM TEAM Athlete Role Model, Tom Hipsz, has recently been selected as first Torontonian to be a Torch Bearer for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

The Esteem Team Athlete Role Model and CFL Alumnus was selected for his vast amount of community work with youth of all ages in inspiring them to be active and healthy while also motivating them to set and achieve their goals. A former High School teacher, Tom is currently working as Recreation & Fitness Co-ordinator at Sheridan College.

"Words cannot express how honoured I am to be chosen to carry the Olympic flame in my city.", stated an elated Hipsz. "The Esteem Team has opened the doors for me to speak to youth at elementary and high schools all over Ontario, and I am so proud to be part of such a great organization."

Elementary Schools, High Schools and other Youth organizations across Canada can apply to have Tom or one of our other Esteem Team Athlete Role Models to come out to inspire their youth to be reach for their dreams, be active and take part in our programs. In many cases this can be done at little to no cost to the schools. Visit www.esteemteam.com for more information.

Canadian Youth ages (13 - 19) are also encouraged to register themselves as a potential Olympic Torch Bearer in their community by signing on to the "SOGO Active" program at www.sogoactive.com . Registered youth are encouraged to then get active and the more active they are, the more chances they have to be selected as a Torch Bearer. Furthermore, youth can apply for grants of up to $500 towards any financial barriers they have to participating in sport (ie equipment, facility rentals ect.).

MOTIVATE CANADA is a non-profit organization funded in part by Sport Canada offers a variety of athlete and youth outreach programs to fulfill their vision of a World of Empowered Youth.

For more details on Motivate Canada and our youth-engagement programs visit www.motivatecanada.ca

The original program - ESTEEM Team, Canada's Goal Setting Program for Youth - is a speaker's bureau that is a dynamic athlete role model program connecting excellent Canadian athletes with students across the country. The ESTEEM Team has provided face-to-face presentations to over 1.15 million youth across Canada, through schools, community centers, and sports clubs since our inception in 1994.

For further information please contact:

MARK SLUBAN

ESTEEM TEAM Program Manager

MOTIVATE CANADA

office: (613) 789-3333 ext. #225, cell: (613) 834-5956

www.esteemteam.com - www.motivatecanada.ca

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ontario Trillium Foundation Press Release (November 2nd, '07)

THE ESTEEM TEAM ASSOCIATION HONOURED WITH ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION 25th ANNIVERSARY GREAT GRANTS AWARD

Ottawa, November 2, 2007 - The Esteem Team Association was honoured for the impact it has made in communities across the province at the Ontario Trillium Foundation's (OTF) 25th Anniversary Great Grants Awards on November 1, 2007. Held at the MaRS Centre in Toronto, the evening highlighted the achievements of 25 not-for-profit organizations from the more than ten thousand groups that received OTF funding over the past 25 years. These organizations have exemplified excellence, innovation and leadership in their community and volunteer work.

"2007 marks the 25th anniversary of grantmaking for OTF and we are delighted to acknowledge the Esteem Team Association's contribution to improving the quality of life across the province," said Helen Burstyn, Chair, OTF Board of Directors.

Established in 1994 in British Columbia, the Esteem Team Association is dedicated to youth development through sport, education and community involvement. Its goal is to engage and empower students to make positive and healthy life choices for themselves and in their homes, schools and community.

OTF recognized the power of example to inspire youth and in 2002 granted the Association $498,500 over three years to build on its athlete role model program and develop new presentation materials. Over 150,000 appreciative young Ontarians had the chance to hear sports heroes share their inspiring stories. The team's hopeful message also reached out to remote aboriginal communities and children with disabilities.

"It is an honour to be selected for a 25th anniversary Great Grants Award. This award is a strong indicator that our Esteem Team and ACTIVATE programs are making a difference with young people in Ontario," said Ian Bird, President of Esteem Team.

Over 25 years, there are few not-for-profit organizations in the province that OTF has not touched and few communities where its support has not made a difference.

The Government of Ontario had the vision to create OTF 25 years ago; to support the Foundation's growth over time; and to recognize its importance recently with an additional $20 million in annual funding that will enable the Foundation to do even more when it comes to building healthy and vibrant communities.

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For more information, contact:

Renée Ouellet, Senior Communications Officer, Marketing and Media Services,

Ontario Trillium Foundation, 1.800.263.2887 ext.265, or online at rouellet@trilliumfoundation.org

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