Through a partnership with Mazda Canada and Toronto Pan Am Centre, Pathways Scarborough Village students participate in a new engaging physical activity program.
Walk into Pathways Scarborough Village any day after school, and it’s abuzz with the busy chatter and excitement of students as they work toward the end of the school year, supported by a dedicated roster of program staff and volunteer tutors. However, even when schools close for the summer, the team continues to keep students connected to the program year-round.
For Kyle Hunte, one of Pathways Scarborough Village’s Student Development Workers, what he’s most looking forward to is the upcoming soccer game between program staff and students—after losing to the students during a friendly competition last summer, the team is excited for their rematch! It’s all part of the engaging physical activity program Kyle started last July, made possible through a partnership with Mazda Canada and Toronto Pan Am Centre.
In the neighbourhoods that Pathways Scarborough Village serves, there is a lack of youth-friendly recreational spaces. This means that outside of school, students often have difficulty accessing the social and experiential opportunities critical for personal development and building confidence. Especially during school PA days and summer months, many students are stuck at home with little access to motivational experiences. That’s why Pathways Scarborough Village prioritizes creating a robust offering of mentoring programming, designed to provide students with safer spaces to build community connections and develop lifelong skills for success.
Last year, Kyle worked with the Toronto Pan Am Centre’s community outreach team to arrange access to the centre’s facilities and professional trainers at a discounted rate. And thanks to generous additional support provided by Mazda Canada, a Pathways Canada Corporate Partner, they were able to build a year-long enriching program to support students’ physical health and create access to opportunities that they may not otherwise experience.
From rock climbing to basketball, badminton, and other court sports, Kyle and the team organized structured physical activities at the Pan Am Centre to ensure students had a place to be active, learn new skills, and bond with their peers. The program runs twice a week during the summer months, and on PA days throughout the school year. Students also had the unique opportunity to train with high-level sports academy trainers during March Break, engaging in strength and conditioning exercises and learning valuable running techniques. Additionally, they were provided with day passes, allowing them to continue using the gym outside of scheduled programming.
Each session welcomes about 25 students, supervised by Kyle and another Pathways Scarborough Village staff member. Although this past year has been filled with highlights, Kyle’s favourite memory is when they introduced rock climbing. Initially, he and many of the students were hesitant about the new challenge. Over time, they built their courage together, with many students conquering their fears and reaching the top of the climbing wall.
More than just a way to stay active, this program emphasizes learning through play. Kyle and the team were able to weave in capacity-building lessons throughout all the games, with students learning about discipline, teamwork, and communication—all essential skills that will help scaffold their success into the future. Additionally, having the space to socialize and build new friendships helped to foster a sense of belonging, encouraging students to take on new challenges in other aspects of programming.
Through a connection with another local partner, the Scarborough Village Community Rec Centre, the team was also able to recently build upon this collaboration and offer students a full Sports Day at the Pan Am Centre with an even greater variety of activities. Kyle and the team aren’t planning on slowing down anytime soon, with more games and their soccer rematch already scheduled to take place in the coming months. Through a combination of sports, mentorship, and community support, this initiative is proving that when young people are given new opportunities, they rise to the challenge—both on and off the court.