Outdoor Play Canada (OPC) is transitioning from a national network to an official not-for-profit organization and we are looking for outdoor play leaders across the country to join our Board of Directors!

Launched in September 2019, OPC has operated as a national network of advocates, practitioners, researchers, and organizations working to promote, protect, and preserve access to play in nature and the outdoors for all people living in Canada. While this structure has served us well, we recently underwent a strategic planning process with stakeholders from across the country to determine how OPC may best serve the outdoor play community in Canada. It was decided by all those involved that becoming a not-for-profit organization was the logical next step. Founding Board members will support OPC in becoming an established not-for-profit organization (e.g., developing its bylaws), while ensuring OPC stays true to its mission, is financially stable, and is representative of the broad outdoor play sector in Canada. We invite outdoor play stakeholders from all aspects of the diverse peoples living in Canada to consider applying.

We are looking for individuals to join our Board of Directors who are:

• Familiar with OPC and its work
• Involved in outdoor play initiatives in Canada (i.e., as an outdoor play practitioner, researcher, policy maker, urban planner, advocate, or other)
• Eager to provide leadership and strategic direction for OPC and the broader outdoor play sector
• Canadian citizens, residents, or live in Canada
• 18 years of age or older

We are asking our Board of Directors to:

• Attend 90-minute monthly meetings for the first year, moving to quarterly meetings thereafter
• Participate in yearly reviews of the Board
• Support our efforts and promote OPC initiatives among colleagues and peers

We are looking to fill the following Board of Director roles:

• President (2-year term; 1 position): The president will provide leadership to the Board of Directors; chair Board meetings; provide recommendations – in consultation with the rest of the Board – on new initiatives and committees; coordinate individual Board member assignments; appoint chairpersons of new committees (again in consultation with the rest of the Board); serve as a member of committees and attend meetings when invited; ensure Board matters are handled appropriately, including committee functioning, recruitment of new Board members, orientations, and meeting preparation; and guide the Board in ensuring OPC meets its mission.
• Vice-president (2-year term; 1 position): The vice-president will act as the President in their absence and work closely with the President to assist in their duties.
• Secretary (2-year term; 1 position): The secretary will ensure that Board members are given appropriate notice of meetings; prepare and distribute meeting agendas; oversee the distribution of background information relevant to agenda items as necessary; prepare official meeting minutes and distribute those minutes to the Board before the next meeting; record motions, discussions, votes and decisions; schedule and notify Board members of upcoming meetings; and hold members accountable for their action items.
• Treasurer (2-year term; 1 position): The treasurer will be responsible for overseeing the financial matters of the board and ensuring other board members are informed of financial-related issues to ensure informed decision making. The treasurer will ensure that effective financial measures, controls, and procedures are put in place and appropriate to OPC.
• General member (3-year term; up to 12 positions): General members will bring their unique lens to the board to ensure OPC meets its strategic priorities, and will provide advice, contribute to annual reviews of the organization, identify funding and in-kind support opportunities, and share their unique perspectives on, and passion for, outdoor play.

To nominate yourself, please email the following to info@outdoorplaycanada.ca:

• A statement of interest (no more than 500 words)
• A current CV or resume (no formatting required)

Applications will close on Friday, September 16^th at 5pm (EST). Please consider circulating this call within your networks!