The Sport and Social Change Living Lab – led by Professor Ramón Spaaij, Dr Fiona McLachlan, Associate Professor Brent McDonald and Dr Carla Luguetti – have developed the Change Makers program to widen community participation and equity of under-represented groups in sport clubs.
Change Makers
Building on decades of cutting-edge research and education, Change Makers offer a best-practice action research model comprising a series of projects where ‘Change Makers’ (club leaders, volunteers, and administrators) are assisted to transform their sport settings into safe and welcoming spaces for girls, women and non-binary people and for multicultural communities.
The program creates a cooperative and educative community of practice, with Change Makers nominated from sports or community groups. The Change Makers are trained, mentored and supported to design and implement innovative projects that address structural and cultural barriers experienced by girls, women, non-binary people and multicultural communities in sport participation and sports club leadership positions. Further mentoring and support is provided to the Change Makers and their sport clubs to implement, promote and evaluate their action plans.