Gentle Exercise Facilitator - 2025 Summer Student

GENTLE EXERCISE FACILITATOR - SUMMER STUDENT

Temporary Contract, June 2, 2025 to August 1, 2025 (9 weeks)

30 hours per week, $17.50 per hour + mileage between work locations

(Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM)

At Community Support Connections, we wake up each morning energized about the difference we make in the lives of our clients; people who could be your parents, grandparents, friends, or neighbours. Working with hundreds of amazing volunteers, donors, and community partners, we provide a wide range of community supports for older adults and people with different abilities to help them live at home with independence and dignity – something we all deserve. We are truly caring and client-centered, and are constantly innovating; looking for new and better ways to provide the best care and supports possible.

Passion and commitment permeate everything we do. Driven by our values, we treat our clients, volunteers, donors, and each other, with dignity and respect. We are committed to cultivating a diverse workforce and welcome candidates from different backgrounds and all life experiences. We believe the best way to serve our clients and volunteers is to create an environment and culture that empowers our staff to be as productive and happy as possible.

Working closely with the Fall Prevention and Exercise Team, the Gentle Exercise Facilitator – Summer Student will lead older adults and those with different abilities in safe, gentle exercise classes both virtually and in person throughout the community. They will work collaboratively with our community host locations and adapt classes to meet the needs of program participants to ensure they enjoy a fun social and recreational activity that also helps prevent falls.

If you are passionate about senior fitness and are looking for a fun and challenging opportunity to build your portfolio, we want to hear from you!

Tasks And Responsibilities

1. Set up, lead and administer gentle exercise classes in a variety of settings (group and 1:1, retirement and community settings, in person and/or virtually)
2. Provide back-up coverage for open classes as required
3. Set up chairs and exercise equipment as needed
4. Ensure all equipment and supplies are sanitized prior to and following use
5. Distribute and collect all necessary paperwork from participants, including PARQ's and waivers
6. Record participant attendance at each class and report information to the Manager, Exercise and Fall Prevention on a monthly basis
7. Lead either 45-minute or one-hour gentle exercise programs, following the SMART program guidelines, providing modifications and adaptations for participants as trained, progressing in intensity, repetitions, and resistance as appropriate
8. Monitor all participants continuously throughout class, providing cues for breathing, posture, and hydration
9. Instruct participants on class components, including warm-up, endurance, cool-down, strength, and stretching exercises, proper body mechanics, pacing, and energy conservation techniques
10. Ensure the safe delivery of the SMART program and respond to emergency situations with participants as they arise
11. Promote senior fitness in the community, distribute marketing materials as required
12. May provide one-on-one instruction in clients' homes
13. Assist with data entry and keep client files up to date
14. Support other organization-wide supports as required
15. Deliver Meals on Wheels
16. Attend monthly team meetings

Requested Skills/Qualifications

• This job is funded through Canada Summer Jobs 2025, and to be eligible applicants must:
• Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of employment
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment
• Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with Ontario legislation and regulations
• Successful candidate must be available to work the entire 8-week contract
• Valid Driver’s License and daily access to a safe, licensed, and reliable vehicle for business-related travel
• Current Emergency First Aid/CPR A Certificate (or be willing to acquire by time of employment)
• Must complete internal SMART training
• Satisfactory police records check for the vulnerable sector
• Excellent time management and organization skills
• Ability to work independently, but seek advice when needed
• Capable of regular and considerable physical effort including lifting up to 30 pounds and carrying for short distances
• Excellent communication and active listening skills
• Experience teaching group fitness classes preferred
• Education in kinesiology, applied health sciences, recreational therapy or related field
• Experience with older adults, volunteers, and/or persons with diverse abilities is an asset
• Ability to communicate in a language other than English is an asset

Application Information

Please submit your resume and cover letter highlighting the unique attributes you bring to the position by 12 noon on May 12, 2025.

Individuals from equity-seeking groups are encouraged to apply.

We are happy to accommodate the needs of qualified applicants in all parts of the recruitment and assessment process in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you are contacted for an interview and anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the recruitment process, please let us know in advance how to best meet your needs.

Check out communitysupportconnections.org to learn more about our programs and services! You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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