United Alberta Paddling Society - Increasing Women in Leadership Roles 2026

For their 2026 project, UAPS used their Take the Lead for leadership and instructor training for eight women members of the United Alberta Paddling Society. These women are either training to become volunteer coaches in instructional programs or are advanced paddlers, upgrading their skills. UAPS programs offer unique opportunities for women of all ages and natural abilities to learn whitewater skills in an affordable, safe and supportive environment. Eight women took 14 courses including:

• Lake Kayak Instructor level 1 training.
• Participation in the Alberta Whitewater Symposium.
• Intermediate First Aid or Whitewater Rescue Technician training.
• Online NCCP leadership courses.

Whitewater paddling is a mentally and physically challenging sport that requires participants to overcome fear and deal creatively with dynamic instability. Women excel at whitewater when they have access to well-trained and encouraging instructors who can also provide logistical support for beginner paddlers to practice fundamental moves in ever more challenging situations.

Specific training for the current project and its impact beyond Leadership Training include:

• Those who took Lake Kayak Instructor 1 training, will be applying the skills they learned as volunteers in a Women-Only Introduction to Kayak program at Rundle Park Paddling Centre.
• Those who attended the AWA symposium offering advanced Whitewater training and leadership programming to enhance their skills as UAPS instructors and role models for women learning the sport through the club BDP (Beginner Development Program) and other on-river programming.
• Those who took First Aid and/or Whitewater Rescue Technician training, will be better able to be prepared for emergencies as volunteers for our pool and on-river instructional programs.
• NCCP Core Training for Learning Facilitators helped a leader become a River Leader 1 Learning Facilitator for Canoe Kayak Canada and to organize her 2nd successful Women’s only Intro to Kayaking program at Rundle Park Paddling centre that reached many new Canadians who would not otherwise have had a chance to learn.
• Those who took online NCCP courses (Making Ethical Decisions, Safe Sport, Making Headway in Sport etc.) to advance their leadership skills and confidence as volunteer paddling coaches for our introductory club programs.

"UAPS is proud of our success in achieving these goals in our various club programs and acknowledge the important role that InMotion funding through Take the Lead has played in helping us recruit women leadership candidates from our membership by offering financial support for coach training programs and informal training opportunities as volunteers for our pool-based and on-river instructional programs."