A local program designed to get kids to stop bullying and start playing is catching on across Canada.
Power Play was locally developed at the Sunshine Coast Regional District Parks and Recreation department and is aimed at children in Grades 6 and 7, helping them become leaders on the playground.
"We were talking with Des Sjoquist (former superintendent of schools). He said he was hearing from principals and teachers that kids had nothing to do at lunchtime. They were just sitting around or fighting and bullying each other," said Kathryn Travers of the parks and recreation department.
That conversation spawned the idea for Power Play. The program was originally called Noon Hour Power and targeted children in Grades 6 and 7 at Kinnikinnick Elementary, Langdale Elementary and Sechelt Elementary Schools. Students were taught games that needed minimal equipment and were then in charge of teaching those games to other students.
Six years later the event was expanded into a full-day session. Travers said organizers decided it was important to have specific leadership training incorporated.
"We looked online at other programs that were similar and found that none of them had this leadership training aspect that I think is so vital. So we decided to teach the leadership skills to the oldest children in the elementary schools, to teach them to empower the younger kids and get them out there playing," said Travers.
This year, (the seventh year the program has run) senior students in Madeira Park, Roberts Creek and Sechelt spent a day going to different stations learning games like jacks, marbles, skipping, tag, wall ball and four square.
"They are traditional games that can be played with minimal equipment," said Travers.
Then the entire school met to talk about play.
"We talked about the physical benefits, the social benefits and the mental benefits. Play is not just fun; it breaks barriers because we all have something to offer," said Travers.
This philosophy and the program itself are getting noticed across the country.
"A lady from Prince Edward Island called recently to find out about the program and how to implement it. She found there wasn't anything else like it available," Travers said.
Because the program is getting queries like this from all over Canada, Travers says the parks and recreation department plans to develop their own resource for others to learn from and adapt to their own specific needs.
She is also seeking funding to implement the program in all elementary schools on a yearly basis and possibly bring in high school students for support and inspiration.
