Healthy Active Living

The Basic Needs, Brighter Future program provides young people with resources to enhance and expand their access to food, education relating to food, and the development of healthy habits and life skills. Grants allow Clubs to feed more young people and their families, promote the importance of healthy habits, and educate Club staff and members.

For children and youth of all ages

Rookie League is a safe, fun, active, and engaging baseball program for children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in recreational or organized sport. In addition to providing youth employment opportunities and training coaches, the program uses baseball as a foundation to teach children the importance of team work, cooperation, and self-esteem.

For children and youth aged 5 – 14

Cool Moves is a national activity and healthy eating awareness program designed to create a life-long appreciation for a healthy, active lifestyle. Cool Moves has two distinct parts: Eat Smart, in which participants are encouraged to make healthier eating choices, and Play Cool, in which participants are encouraged to engage in more physical activity.

For children aged 8 – 12

This program is designed to help youth be physically active in a variety of innovative ways aside from traditional sports and fitness. It is also designed to help youth increase their nutrition knowledge and ability to plan, shop for, and create healthy snacks and meals for themselves and their families. Fare Advantage aims to provide youth with the resources and training they need to develop positive nutrition and active lifestyle habits that serve them for life.

For youth aged 12 – 18

Flex Your Head was developed to help youth think about, talk about, and understand issues of mental health and wellness within a safe, fun, and welcoming environment. In an active, peer-based format, youth are given the knowledge, skills, and strategies to cope with stress and distress and promote positive mental health and wellness. Visit bgccflex.ca to learn more.

For youth aged 13+

Kid Food Nation is a national initiative that helps kids and families develop food skills through hands-on experiences related to planning, preparing, and cooking. The program also features an online hub with resources for healthy eating and meal preparation, and a national recipe competition that encourages kids to put their food literacy skills into practice and submit original, healthy, and nutritious recipes. Our Kid Food Nation online hub was created by Corus Entertainment, and our program is developed through collaboration with Dietitians of Canada.

For children aged 7 – 12

Our new trauma-informed sports program aims to improve the physical and mental health of Club members by combining organized sport with the power of being part of a team. Using cutting-edge clinical and academic trauma-informed approaches, the program equips kids to better handle the ups and downs of life.

For children aged 8 – 12

Project Backpack is designed to help reduce food insecurity for young people and their families. Once a week, program participants (selected with discretion by the Club) are given a food-filled backpack to bring home, with nutritious food that they can easily assemble into healthy meals over the weekend or during time periods when Clubs or schools are unable to provide meals.

For children and youth of all ages

Designed for kids with no previous tennis experience, the Tennis League program focuses on learning tennis through play, rather than the traditional lesson-based model. Using modified tennis balls, racquets, nets, and courts that can be used in non-traditional facilities, young players learn the fundamentals of the game early on.

For children and youth aged 6+

This walking program promotes physical activity and learning by encouraging young people to explore their community on foot. Participants take long treks to surrounding points of interest, spending time exploring landmarks and neighbourhoods along the route and learning what makes each week’s destination unique. The program was created by Gavin Lumsden, a volunteer at Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, who raised over $50,000 to ensure the program could run nationally!

For children and youth aged 6 – 16