Healthy Investments in Strait Region's Schools and Communities

Students in the Strait area will have more healthy food choices and opportunities to be physically active, thanks to a $70,000 investment from the province.

The grant was provided to the Strait Regional School Board to support the Health Promoting Schools program.

"The Health Promoting Schools program is a perfect example of everyone working together to benefit the health of our children in their school community," said Health Promotion and Protection Minister Barry Barnet. "This grant is making it possible in Strait regional schools."

Health Promoting Schools involves a range of programs, activities, and services that take place in school communities. The program is designed not only to affect the health of individual students, but also to make the places where children live and learn, healthier.

Research shows that combining healthy eating and physical activity is the most successful way to promote healthy living. Schools are recognized as an ideal setting to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

The school board's plans for the grant include maintaining and expanding their youth leadership program. A team of students can request a grant to start activities around physical activity or nutrition. The program promotes youth working with the community, municipal recreation and public health nurses to identify partners to help with and benefit from the activity.

"These grants will not only open the door to promoting healthy living in the schools but also the community," said Jerome Stewart, active healthy living consultant for Strait Regional School Board. "Through communicating and sharing resources, everyone will benefit from these new opportunities."

The school board's existing sport animator and active healthy-living consultant will work together to support the implementation of the new programs and activities. They will have support from the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority and Cape Breton District Health Authority's additional public health nutritionists, funded as part of the Healthy Eating Nova Scotia strategy. Families, health professionals, educators, schools, community organizations and young people must all work together to create a successful health promoting school.

Recent data from Statistics Canada shows that 32 per cent of Nova Scotia children and youth are overweight or obese, which is above the national average. The benefits of Health Promoting Schools are far reaching -- from improving student health and school environments to improving student success at learning. Schools that promote a healthy lifestyle can also empower young people to take responsibility for their health, show pride in their school and take ownership of school policies.