A project aimed at getting young people with mental or physical disabilities involved with sports clubs across Melbourne’s west has been recognised with a Melbourne University award for excellence.
The Inclusion Partnership Project, which resulted in publication of Sports for Everyone: A Guide to 360° Inclusion for Young People in Sport, is a partnership between the university and Hobsons Bay Community Fund.
Eighteen students have worked over three years with Hobsons Bay and Wyndham councils, parents and representatives from more than 20 clubs to develop the guide to help empower people aged 12 to 18.
The postgraduate social work students are based at the West Footscray office of Compton Green.
Sarah Eicher, an international student from Michigan, said the inclusion guide – just one aspect of the three-year project – was improving lives.
“The Sports for Everyone guide serves as a living document that draws from various theories of inclusion and offers actionable ways to enhance inclusive practices in sporting clubs,” she said.
“The guide has acted as a catalyst for change by raising awareness of the importance of inclusion and sharing personal experiences.”
The project won the University of Melbourne Award for Excellence in Engagement – Teaching. The guide is available online.
