DYLOTT is proud to announce an ongoing partnership between MLSE Foundation and Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today (DYLOTT).
This summer, DYLOTT was a successful grant recipient for the MLSE Foundation’s 2021 Community Action Grant. Our #LeadLikeAGirl program is excited to welcome this new partnership to explore creative ways to advance youth leadership skills development.
The #LeadLikeAGirl program is designed for Black girls ages 6-17 to have meaningful in-depth learning experiences. Outcomes for this program include exposure and enhancement of the knowledge of young leaders to unique topics through a series of interactive sessions, with direct connection to innovative learning activities.
“It is through this unique experience-based early intervention learning program that we see the opportunity to introduce the sport of Curling to young girls; and the Change the Game Campaign is our launch pad. Introducing the game of Curling to Black girls breaks down barriers of access to opportunity, inclusion and belonging, while creating space for the evolution of championing what girls in sports can be and do!” says Candies Kotchapaw, Founder and Executive Director of DYLOTT and the #LeadLikeAGirl program.
MLSE Foundation’s three-year sponsorship commitment allows the #LeadLikeAGirl program to test, explore and concretize how participation in the sport of Curling can further be a vehicle for holistic engagement, life-skills leadership development, and the redefinition of the approach to sports in Black communities.
The #LeadLikeAGirl program is excited to launch the pilot project in November 2021, bringing together the first cohort of twenty girls across the City of Toronto to learn about the skills and strategy needed to play the sport, while also tying together the on-ice learning with real life skill building and the exploration of the various professional careers within the sport of Curling.
About MLSE Foundation and the Change, The Game Campaign
Launched in 2016, MLSE Foundation’s Community Action Grant program provides up to $50,000 to Ontario-based organizations that are using sport and recreation to advance outcomes in physical health, mental health, academic achievement, and work readiness. Eligible organizations apply under one of the following pillars: Healthy Body, focusing on increasing physical literacy and levels of physical activity through high-quality sport experiences; Healthy Mind, which concentrates on programming that provides safe physical and psychological spaces with opportunities to belong; Ready For School, which integrates sport and academics; and Ready For Work, which concentrates on job-readiness through training that combines classroom and sport learning. Over the past 10 years, MLSE Foundation has raised and invested more than $45 million into Ontario communities.
The Change the Game initiative established in February 2021 is centered around building equity through proven community investment streams, allowing for greater access to free sport programs, increased support of community partners, deeper empowerment within communities, and increased opportunities for leadership in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
About Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today (DYLOTT)
DYLOTT is a Black youth-focused leadership incubation organization, geared towards changing the career trajectory of Black youth. Our programs are designed to address barriers to social inclusion in employment, education, and the broader social context.
We support participants of our programs to develop and maintain positive peer and professional mentoring relationships that will positively impact their career trajectory and socio-economic status through early literacy, development of leadership skills and professional support. For more information on DYLOTT, visit http://www.dylott.com/ or contact us at info1.dylott@gmail.com
