City of Vancouver News Release: City and Park Board launch Get Out!

City of Vancouver News Release

December 14, 2004

City and Park Board launch Get Out!

The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board have today launched an initiative to encourage youth to get out and get active in arts, culture and sports. Get Out!, being undertaken by the City's Office of Cultural Affairs, Social Planning Department and the Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation, is a multidisciplinary program targeted at Vancouver's youth, aged 12 to 24.

Get Out! has several components including programming for youth to get more active through sports, physical activity, arts and culture; opportunities for community organizations to partner and design programming for and with youth; and opportunities for youth to receive grants for their own projects, in partnership with community organizations.

Get Out!, designed to improve the long-term health and well-being of Vancouver's youth by encouraging active participation and community collaboration, has three main aspects:

Recreation activities and programs for youth, including "Chillin' on Ice," late night skating at Killarney on Saturday nights.
Community Partnership Program - providing an opportunity for two or more organizations to develop athletic and/or cultural programming for, and in partnership with, youth. Grants of up to $10,000 per project are available to organizations.
Grants to Youth Program - providing support for youth to initiate, develop and implement their own ideas through cultural projects with community partners. Grants of up to $5,000 are available per project.

"The overall goal of Get Out! is to get Vancouver's youth active – physically, creatively – wherever their imagination takes them," states Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell. "It's all about providing opportunities for our youth and organizations that support and work with youth, and creating a legacy as we lead up to and beyond the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games." Park Board Chair Anita Romaniuk added: "We want youth to take the lead in creating their own programs that are fun. This will create a snowball effect attracting more youth to get active, engaged and push their boundaries."

Information about Get Out! is available at www.heygetout.ca, or by contacting the Program Coordinator, Doug Ragan at 604-871-6848.

For more information:
Jennifer Young, Corporate Communications
604-873-7394

Carol DeFina, Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation
604-257-8440

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