Classroom champions program looking for participants

Canada’s winter athletes inspired the nation during the recent Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. For nearly 1,000 of the country’s kindergarten to Grade 8 students, that inspiration is present all day, every day, throughout the full school year thanks to Classroom Champions and a growing number of dedicated Athlete Mentors who take a hands-on role in their education.

And for the 2014/15 school year, that number is set to double thanks to increased funding support from corporate Canada – with four additional classrooms being added in Shaunavon thanks to the increased commitment of Crescent Point Energy. Classroom Champions: Shaunavon presented by Crescent Point Energy will also deliver a community event in the spring of 2015, broadening the reach of the program even further.

“We are still in the midst of our first year of expansion into Canada, with close to 1,000 students involved in the program through their classrooms, and over 6,000 students engaged through associated projects,” said Steve Mesler, Olympic and World Champion, and President and CEO of Classroom Champions.

“The year-over-year growth in interest and financial support of Classroom Champions reinforces the impact that sport – with its values of fair-play, goal-setting, and community – has on all of us, especially children,” Classroom Champions – the first and only in-school program that brings Olympians and Paralympians into the classroom to provide ongoing mentorship – is offered in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica. It provides its teachers with 21st Century technology not always available in their higher-needs schools – tablets, televisions, laptops – to incorporate digital literacy into their curriculum.

“We have been working diligently to recruit more Olympians and Paralympians to serve as Athlete Mentors – now we need to make sure we recruit the teachers who will partner with us to deliver Classroom Champions to their students,” said Mesler, who encourages interested teachers to visit classroomchampions.org/apply for more information.

Teacher application period for Classroom Champions: Shaunavon presented by Crescent Point Energy open through May 31.

In end-of-year measurement surveys, the overwhelming majority of teachers state that Classroom Champions helped them become a better teacher.

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