The Victorian Government is continuing to level the playing field and increase the number of women and girls participating in sport, from grassroots through to leadership roles.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence today announced the opening of the first round of the 2021-22 Change Our Game Scholarship Grants Program.

The highly successful program supports women to pursue leadership opportunities across all levels of sport with scholarship grants of up to $10,000 available. Nominations are open to all recognised state sport and recreation bodies, local government authorities and regional sports assemblies.

The scholarship program is tiered to ensure leadership opportunities are extended to women of all experience levels, from community sport volunteers to senior sport executives.

This round will also include a category for women whose roles have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and provide career coaching or counselling for candidates looking to identify transferrable skills, reskill or re-evaluate a career pathway in the sport and recreation sector.

Since the scholarship program was introduced in 2018 more than $1.1 million has been invested to support 214 Victorian women working and volunteering across all levels of the sport and active recreation sector to access professional development opportunities and training courses.

Thanks to the scholarship program Regional Sport Victoria general manager Cassandra Hadson undertook a three-day Women’s Leadership Program through Leadership Victoria to boost her professional learning.

The course also aimed to improve public speaking and influencing skills through workshops and with mix of practical learning embedded in best-practice research.

To find out more about the Change Our Game Scholarship Grants Program,visit changeourgame.vic.gov.au.