In its third year of operation, the Sunshine Project offers subsidized, professional tennis lessons to children in low-income neighbourhoods who may otherwise not have access to this sport.Each year, 300 kids ages 6 -12 receive high quality tennis lessons twice a week over the course of 10 weeks and receive their own take-home tennis racquet.”By making use of public tennis sites located adjacent to our schools, this project succeeds in breaking down the biggest barriers to tennis: proximity, price, and required equipment to play”, the website explains.“The project will move to new neighbourhoods every year, giving different children a chance to play”, said Founder and Program Director Carolynna Gabriel.This year, programs will be running at Chalkfarm Park, Gracedale Park, Maple Leaf Park and St. Conrad Catholic School.“It’s been going really well! We had our first registration day in February and we now have over 200 kids with about 90 spots left” said Gabriel. She confirmed there is still availability at St. Conrad and Maple Leaf Park and a rolling registration will continue until all 300 spots have been filled with students.“Parents have a willingness to try the program as a new sport. We love to hear that because it shows there’s some openness in the community to try something different”, said Gabriel.The Sunshine Project is also hiring youth for paid positions for the 2016 program.“We hire two local youth for each park and integrate them into the staff team. They help with warm ups, taking attendance, supervising participants, and other responsibilities that are similar to an intro training to being a camp counselor. They get paid and develop leadership through sport”, said Gabriel.In addition to the application process, youth are required to submit a bi-weekly invoice stating the work they completed. It exposes them to a new form of work experience which helps to prepare them for the real world.If you’re interested in the job, don’t worry- no need to have extensive knowledge of tennis! “We just need eager athletes who wants to eventually work in sports. We want anyone to apply until spots are filled”, said Gabriel.The Sunshine Project is meant to maximize the use of existing tennis facilities in the city reaching into areas where tennis courts are commonly empty and transforming those spaces.Participants work towards preparing for a showcase event at the end of 10 weeks. Scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2016, participants can expect to celebrate their accomplishment at a fun competitive event where students from all four locations come together to play in a tournament where an ultimate champion in each age category is crowned.Last year, the celebration included a dunk tank, a bouncy castle, face painting, musical chairs, play station areas and a big community barbeque.At the end of the program, happy and fulfilled participants will get to take home their tennis racquet, a yearbook, a t-shirt, and most importantly, a new skill that will help them enjoy the game of tennis for life.For more information on how to register visit: www.sunshinetennisproject.comFacebook: Wilmington TennisTwitter: @wilmingtontg