It’s hard to join the neighbourhood pick-up basketball or soccer game when you don’t know how to dribble. A program run by UWindsor students aimed at developing basic skills in kids to encourage them to engage in exercise throughout their lives.

Physically Empowered and Active Kids, or PEAK, taught children aged eight to 12 to move their bodies through fun activities and sports. It ran eight weeks in the fall and completed its winter course Saturday.

Fourth-year kinesiology and health studies student Emily Chauvin conceived of the idea during a study abroad trip to Costa Rica in April 2023.

“We helped students at the Universidad National Costa Rica run a similar program, although theirs was more sport-oriented,” she says. “I was already thinking ahead to my undergraduate thesis and decided to explore how we could adapt this to Windsor.”

She conducted an independent study into financing and marketing aspects of the program and wrote a business plan in the summer of 2024.

“I wanted to make sure it was free for kids to participate,” says Chauvin. “We have appropriate facilities in the Toldo Lancer Centre and access to summer camp equipment. To run the activities, we could hire students with coaching experience in kinesiology and education.”

Dean of human kinetics Linda Rohr secured Aspire Strategic Funding from the Office of the Provost to get the program up and running.

The student team recruited kids in low-income areas on the city’s west side, postering schools and libraries, and attracted 35 registrants.

“The idea is to promote physical literacy,” Chauvin says. “They need motor competencies in running, jumping, throwing, and catching to get more comfortable with different movements and gain confidence in their ability to be active.”

The students also collected data to analyze and refine the program in what Chauvin characterizes as “a crazy few months.”

“It has taken a true team effort to make this program a success,” she says. “I have found it a really good learning experience that gave me a taste of the business side of things, from working with people to recruiting participants.”

The University of Windsor raised the First Nations flags of the Haudenosaunee, Métis, Walpole, Caldwell, and Aamjiwnaang First Nations in the CAW Student Centre on Tuesday, March 18.

Led by political science professor Esentsei Staats-Pangowish, this action is intended to foster a space where Indigenous students, faculty, and staff feel recognized, supported, and valued.

“Having Indigenous nations flags visible is a great way to start, continue, and increase the conversations on campus about Indigenous sovereignty in the colonial state of Canada,” says Staats-Pangowish. “The University as a whole has much more work to do and I intend to help in continuing to help settlers be aware of their treaty responsibilities here on Turtle Island.”

UWindsor students with ideas to promote sustainability values in teaching, research, operations, and daily lifestyle choices can turn their green solutions into cash through the Campus Sustainability Competition.

Sponsored by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance and the Sustainability Office, the challenge is open to undergrad and graduate students, offering rewards of $2,500, $1,000, and $500 — as well as experience in research, proposal writing, and communication.

Submit project proposals by Monday, March 31. Those judged feasible for real-world implementation may come to life, making a tangible impact on the University.

Find details of application requirements and an entry form here.

Law professor Christopher Waters has been awarded the Law Society Medal by the Law Society of Ontario.

This award recognizes lawyers who have made exceptional contributions to the legal profession, whether through practice, academia, or service that upholds the highest ideals of the profession.

Dr. Waters is an international law scholar specializing in international humanitarian law, with field experience in post-conflict zones. He spent nine years in leadership at Windsor Law, serving from 2009 to 2012 as associate dean and from 2015 to 2021 as dean, during which time he led major initiatives, including the multi-million-dollar Transforming Windsor Law renovation.

Co-editor-in-chief of the Canadian Bar Review for a decade, Waters is active in legal and community organizations, including the Essex Law Association, Canadian Red Cross, and Windsor Persian Cultural Centre. A cycling advocate and author of Every Cyclist’s Guide to Canadian Law, he received the 2024 Wheels of Change Award for his work advancing cycling safety.

Lancer Summer Camp registration opens on Monday, April 7.

The Lancer Recreation website has been updated with Lancer Summer Camp dates, descriptions, lunch registration, parent survival guide, and FAQ.

Camps will begin on Wednesday, July 2, and due to high demand, have been extended for a ninth week to end on Aug. 28.

“We will be offering some new camps in collaboration with the Art Lab and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences,” says co-ordinator Olivia Binder. “As well we have a racquet camp, speed and agility camp, and girls-only volleyball camp.”

She invites questions at obinder@uwindsor.ca or 519-253-3000, ext. 2455.

Nominations are now open for the third annual Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awards.

These awards honour, celebrate, and shine a light on individuals and teams who have made significant contributions towards building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus community and who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to address the systemic barriers, contemporary and historical injustices, and inequities experienced by Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, racialized people, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, women, religious minorities’ and other equity-deserving groups.

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to submit nominations in the following categories:

• Student EDI Award
• Faculty EDI Award
• Staff EDI Award
• Team/committee EDI Award
• Alumni EDI Award
• Aspire EDI Award
• Community Group EDI Award

The deadline for nominations is April 30. Find details, including award criteria and nomination forms, on the EDI Awards website. Direct questions to EDIawards@uwindsor.ca.

A celebration event will be planned for the Fall. More details to follow.

Accessibility Awareness Days webinars on Tuesday, March 25, will address issues in artificial intelligence and assistive technology.

At 11 a.m., presenter Nick Baker will explore the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI as an assistive technology, particularly for students in higher education, and provide considerations for the safe use of these systems. Register for “AI for accessibility: How might AI support people with disabilities?”

At 1 p.m. the panel discussion “Exploring lived experiences of AI and disability” will consider the transformative possibilities and challenges of AI in creating a more inclusive world. Speakers include Dave Dame, senior director of product accessibility for Windows and devices at Microsoft; UWindsor PhD student of computer science Safiia Mohammed; Mary Rice, professor of literacy at the University of New Mexico; and Tina Szymczak, executive director of the Windsor-Essex Family Network. Register here for this online session.

Student Health, Counselling, and Wellness Services is delivering a free workshop, “Name, Claim, and Reframe,” to help students develop personal stress management tools before heading into final exams.

Developed by Workplace Strategies for Mental Health and funded by the 2024-2025 Mindful Campuses grant, this workshop will equip students with strategies to recognize, manage, and mitigate stress. Venus Olla, clinical therapist in Student Health, Counselling & Wellness Services, will facilitate.

The event is open to all UWindsor students and includes a pasta lunch. The first 10 students who register and attend the full session will receive a $10 gift card.

The workshop will take place Wednesday, March 26, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Dillon Hall, room 253. While registration is encouraged, drop-ins are also welcome. Students can register here.

A pasta dinner on Friday, April 4, will raise funds in support of UWindsor students heading to Tanzania to participate in humanitarian and community service-learning activities.

Global Community Engagement Program in Tanzania, known as Teach Tanzania, has been transformative for students in their personal and professional lives and has engaged graduate students in research, says Clinton Beckford, vice-president, people, equity, and inclusion.

A total of 29 students — teacher candidates from the Faculty of Education, 10 third-year nursing students, and a couple from the Odette School of Business and the School of Social Work — will head to Tanzania for three weeks starting April 24.

“This is an incredibly enriching experience for students and is what they will remember most about their time at the University of Windsor,” Dr. Beckford says. “They will be better teachers, nurses, social workers, and businesspersons for having this experience.”

The April 4 event is one of several fundraisers the students are holding to support their humanitarian projects in Tanzania. Besides a meal, it promises entertainment and raffles beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Serbian Centre, 6770 Tecumseh Rd. East.

Admission is $30, with all proceeds going to purchase essential supplies for the Tanzanian students. Buy tickets or make a donation through the event website.