Vision, Mission, Values

“We’re building connections”

The CO-PLAY Network - Co-creating Opportunities through Physical Literacy for All newcomer children and Youth – represents a transformative national initiative funded by the SSHRC Partnership Grant that reimagines how communities can support newcomer youth by embedding physical literacy into settlement pathways.

Rather than imposing top-down solutions, CO-PLAY builds on the strengths and existing efforts of community organizations, public institutions, and academic researchers. These diverse partners co-design, implement, evaluate, and scale culturally relevant programs, while prioritizing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) and engaging directly with youth and community stakeholders to ensure relevance and responsiveness.

The CO-PLAY Network is guided by a clear mission, an inspiring vision, and a set of values that shape every aspect of our work. Together, these principles provide the foundation for how we collaborate, innovate, and support communities. They serve as our compass—defining not only what we strive to achieve, but also how we approach the journey.

Children playing and running in a park with trees and sunlight, engaging in outdoor activity in Canada.
Children playing and smiling outdoors in a city neighborhood, sunlight shining, with a community mission statement overlay, and the Co-Play Network logo in the top right corner.
Smiling young girl holding a soccer ball on a green field with other children in the background, overlaid with text about co-play values and the Co-Play Network logo.
A group of smiling children and a woman participating in a tug-of-war game outdoors, with the word 'Partnership' in red text curved around the image.
A woman and three young girls wearing hijabs look at a laptop together in a cozy indoor setting, with the word 'Engagement' in red text curved around the image.
Group of diverse people having a business meeting in a conference room, some taking notes, others working on laptops, with a woman presenting data on a tablet, with the word 'Innovation' in red text curved around the image.
People discussing at a business meeting with laptops and documents in a modern office, with the word 'Impact' in red text curved around the image.