The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) and participation in its Leading Change™ program, Building Leaders in Violence Prevention.
ACWS’ Leading Change™ team will conduct sessions with each of the 16 AJHL member teams in the 2022-23 season. The program focuses on building a strengths-based conversation among players about domestic and gender-based violence prevention. The session will provide players within the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the tools they need to begin leading the change to end domestic violence and abuse and contribute to a larger culture change.
“Hockey has deep roots in Alberta, and we are pleased to be partnering with the AJHL in this important movement,” said ACWS Executive Director, Jan Reimer. “Through Leading Change™, we have been working with sports organizations at both the junior and professional levels for over a decade to support players in better understanding the complexity and pervasiveness of gender-based violence, the fundamental concerns of consent, and healthy masculinities. There is a real need for everyone to become active bystanders when we notice signs of abuse.”
“We believe that our players can use their position as role models and leaders in Alberta communities to contribute to positive change and promote anti-violence,” said AJHL Commissioner Ryan Bartoshyk. ‘The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters will provide our young athletes with education on abuse prevention, consent and assist in identifying how they can model this leadership in their everyday lives.”
The partnership between AJHL and ACWS currently has an interested funder, with more news to follow soon. ACWS is also looking for additional sponsors to support additional trainings with interested teams.
About Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS)
Together, ACWS and its members work to end domestic violence—in our homes and throughout our communities. A registered charity, ACWS is the provincial network organization of women’s shelters in Alberta. We bring close to four decades of experience and knowledge to serve our 39 members operating over 50 shelters across the province for women, children, and seniors facing domestic abuse. We advocate for ACWS members and work with them to end domestic violence through culture-shifting violence prevention programs, collective data and research, and front-line training. With support from ACWS, Alberta shelters are helping to provide safety, support families, and improve communities.
For More Information:
Charla Flett
Executive Director
Alberta Junior Hockey League
communications@ajhl.ca 403-999-5734
Olivia Street
Coordinator of Communications and Social Advocacy
Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
olivia.street@acws.ca 780-456-7098