CALGARY, Alta. – As part of the lead-up to the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. to Jan. in Calgary and Edmonton, the tournament’s host committee unveiled Monday a school program, an online, interactive, inclusive curriculum-based education program developed to engage students in the upcoming championship and to help raise the sport’s profile throughout the province.

The program, developed by teaching professionals with a passion for hockey and a passion for learning, is aimed at Grades 1-6 and has been designed to be flexible, allowing teachers to customize their level of involvement. There is no charge for classes to take part.

Each school board will receive posters in the coming week promoting the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship school program. Registration is open until Nov. 14 at www.hockeycanada.ca/schoolprogram.

Beginning Nov. 14, five different web-based lessons will be presented to your class by such Hockey Canada stars as Tessa Bonhomme, Jordan Eberle, Marc-André Fleury, Taylor Hall and Hayley Wickenheiser.

Following the end of the five-day interactive lessons, classes are encouraged to design their own Celebration Day, to get their school involved and celebrating Canada, its game and its multiculturalism. Classes will produce and submit a short video of their Celebration Day activities for a chance to win an autographed Team Canada jersey for the school association to use for future fundraising efforts; hockey helmets for the school’s physical education program; an extensive collection of hockey-themed books for the school library; tickets to a game at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship; and the winning video played on the Jumbotron and much more.

For more information on the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship school program, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/schoolprogram. Questions regarding the program can be sent to [email protected].