PASSAGES Women's Mentorship Pilot Program Set to Launch!

The Ontario Tennis Association is partnering with Inspire Through Sport to deliver the PASSAGES Women’s Mentorship Program. PASSAGES is a 10-month pilot program (March 2022 to December 2022) which was open for up to 30 girls and women, aged 15+. The successful applicants will be provided with training, mentorship, leadership development and certification.

Program participants will be certified in either Tennis Instructors or Introduction to Officiating streams. Group classes/seminars led by industry experts will provide knowledge and training in goal setting, discipline, safe sport, work-life balance, financial management, career planning, on-court skills development and much more. There are on-court and virtual components in either stream, with the on-court modules taking place in the GTA.

PASSAGES is made possible thanks to the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), a leading grant-maker in Canada. The hope is to run a successful pilot or “Seed” program in 2022 and successfully re-apply to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for a “Grow” grant in the future. A successful Grow application would allow the OTA to bring Passages to other communities in Ontario.

Inspire Through Sport is founded by Tennis Canada trained coaches Nikki Carnovale and Rachel Gould. Inspire aims to create a collaborative environment that brings young women together to learn, grow, and lead. The organization is designed to provide programs, courses, resources, and hands-on experience, to foster inspirational leadership development.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. The mission of the OTF is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by investing in community-based initiatives and strengthening the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector.