SPIRIT is a youth-led pilot project with the aim of identifying and addressing barriers to physical activity participation for 2SLGBTQ+ students, as well as engaging youth in the planning and implementation of their own programming. As a result of empowering student leaders of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, teachers and students created a safe and welcoming environment, where students became changemakers and built knowledge, understanding, and capacity in their school.
For the SPIRIT project, PHE Canada engaged 8 schools and 180 students in 4 provinces. The video follows three students on their journey to advocating for inclusive programming and practices within their schools for gender and sexually diverse students.
As a result of pilot, the following outcomes were achieved:
- Increased rates of 2SLGBTQ+ students in school-based physical activity participation
- Increased feelings of confidence and safety of 2SLGBTQ+ youth when participating in school-based physical activity programming
- Reduction/elimination of barriers to school-based physical activity participation for 2SLGBTQ+ students
- Increase in teacher understanding of developing inclusive physical activity environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students
To learn strategies and practices to embed inclusion into your programming, access the 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in School-Based Physical Activity Programs Guidebook.

Download Guidebook