1 Welcome! Ontario Physical & Health Education Association (Ophea)

Supporting active healthy school communities 2 Overview –What is Active Schools? –Where does Active Schools come from? –Why was Active Schools created? –How well-developed is the concept? –How does Active Schools meet the needs of students and schools? –How can Active Schools meet my needs in the Public Health field or in my school? –How do I get moving? What are my next steps as a Public Health Professional or a Teacher? Today we will answer your questions:

3 “What’s the Active Schools program?”

Supporting active healthy school communities 4 Active Schools is… programA fun, free program designed to motivate and recognize school communities (teachers, parents, leaders, and students) for getting up, moving, and making a commitment to leading active, healthy lives. frameworkA flexible framework for recognizing the active practices that schools already have, and encouraging the implementation of additional initiatives that build upon existing programs and community resources.

Supporting active healthy school communities 5 An easy program to support A-C-T-I-V-E 1.Schools complete 1 activity in each A-C-T-I-V-E category to achieve a “level”. SuperActive School 2.Achieve 6 levels to be recognized as a “SuperActive School”. 3.Complete a minimum of 6 activities in each category every year to maintain SuperActive status. 4.Recognition and opportunities for prizes along the way!

Supporting active healthy school communities 6 Resources you can really use Active Schools Guides Classroom Posters Level/Tracking Posters and Level Stickers Newsletters with ideas from other schools, news about programs and recognition of Leaders who are making a difference Website with updates, information and success stories Listserv to share information, questions and experiences Rewards and incentives from recognized partners.

Supporting active healthy school communities 7 A framework for other existing programs and services For example: –Local/regional health promotion initiatives –Ontario H & PE Curriculum, Active Participation Strand –Clubs, teams, sports, play-days, etc. –Fund and awareness raising events –other?

Supporting active healthy school communities 8 The purpose of Ophea’s Active Schools program is to establish a model for school communities to implement a comprehensive approach to school physical activity and health promotion, and to recognize schools for their efforts to enhance physical activity opportunities for all students. To promote the Active Schools program to school communities across Ontario. To increase the capacity for physical activity participation and promotion in school communities. To build relationships with and among public health, schools, parents, and other community leaders. To sustain the implementation of the Active Schools program in Ontario school communities. What’s the whole point?

9 Where does Active Schools come from?

Supporting active healthy school communities 10 The Ontario Physical & Health Education Association Ophea is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting school communities through: –Advocacy –Quality programs and services –Partnership building

Supporting active healthy school communities 11 Ophea promotes meaningful, active, healthy living Ophea works to provide Ontario school communities with the means to ensure the environment where children live, learn, and play encourages active healthy living in a manner that is meaningful and fun.

Supporting active healthy school communities 12 Official Support The Active Schools program is managed by PARC and supported by the Ministry of Health Promotion.

13 Why was the Active Schools program created?

Supporting active healthy school communities 14 Inactivity during childhood is a real problem in Ontario As many as 82% of children and youth are not active enough to meet international guidelines for optimal growth and development (Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 2001). The prevalence of obesity among Canadian children more than doubled between 1981 and 1996 (Tremblay and Willms, 2000) Inactivity leads to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and more. Inactive children become inactive adults.

15 How well- developed is the Active Schools concept?

Supporting active healthy school communities 16 An established, validated program Literature review Focus groups 2000, 01 - Pilot projects and review in 27 schools Launch through 396 schools Expansion to include “Super-Active Schools” level

17 What does the word “ACTIVE” represent?

Supporting active healthy school communities 18 A A ctive participation C C o-curricular T T eamwork I I nvolvement V V alues E E ducation A-C-T-I-V-E categories

Supporting active healthy school communities 19 Active participation Regular physical activity beyond health and physical education classes. Make equipment available at recess & lunch Teach children cooperative games Encourage families to walk to school Design playgrounds and fields to encourage quality activities other ideas? A

Supporting active healthy school communities 20 Co-curricular Organized teams and clubs that provide opportunities for as many students as possible to be active outside the class, in a structured setting. Co-ed soccer teams Skipping clubs Relay races other ideas? C

Supporting active healthy school communities 21 Teamwork Teamwork occurs when students, and teachers work together to get active within the school community. Play days Track and field activ8 challenge days other ideas? T

Supporting active healthy school communities 22 Involvement Getting your community involved is part of being an active school. You are getting involved whenever you access community facilities and engage more community members. Use the community’s pools, rinks, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, etc Involve parents, community members and health professionals in activities Hold workshops and assemblies for members of the community other ideas? I

Supporting active healthy school communities 23 Values promotion Promoting the importance of being physically active in your school. Newsletters Announcements Posters Bulletin boards other ideas? V

Supporting active healthy school communities 24 Education Schools provide opportunities for both students and teachers to participate in and learn about healthy behaviours, active living, and physical education. Regular Health and Physical Education classes Healthy living workshops for teachers Heart Healthy™ Toolkit School Olympics other ideas? E

25 What is Comprehensive School Health?

Supporting active healthy school communities 26 Comprehensive School Health An approach to school-based health promotion maintaining that health instruction should be coordinated with school health services. Consists of 4 components: –Instruction: –Instruction: quality H&PE program –Support Services: –Support Services: collaboration with the community –Social Support: –Social Support: environmental context for action –Healthy Physical Environment: –Healthy Physical Environment: addressing barriers and meeting the needs of students

Supporting active healthy school communities 27 Comprehensive School Health A Comprehensive School Health approach aims to address the following Risk Factor Areas:  Physical Inactivity  Unhealthy Eating  Tobacco Use  Alcohol and Substance Use and Abuse

Supporting active healthy school communities 28 Why Comprehensive School Health? cost-effectiveThe school is an ideal site for prevention initiatives – orchestrated active healthy living strategies in schools may be society’s most cost-effective prevention strategy. CSH empowers children and their communitiesCSH empowers children and their communities to alter their health-related behaviours and the environments that influence them.

29 How does Active Schools meet the needs of students and schools?

Supporting active healthy school communities 30 Motivating rewards Monthly draws for prizes from Wintergreen Monthly profiles of winners on TVO’s Crawlspace Monthly Active Schools Prize Packs Seasonal newsletters profiling draw winners and SuperActive Schools leaders Annual grand prize draw Annual draw for SuperActive schools Success stories, profiles, registrants, and achievement levels posted on ophea.net

Supporting active healthy school communities 31 Benefits to school communities AlignedAligned: Linked to the active participation strand of curriculum. FreeFree: Program, rewards, & support materials you can really use. ValidValid: Established, researched, field-tested, evaluated, and validated program you can depend on. Co-PromotedCo-Promoted: Use Active Schools as a vehicle to support other events and activities like walk-a-thons and play days. SupportedSupported: Free access to Active Schools Staff to help with implementation and development. ConnectedConnected: Improve connections to the community and to public health departments.

Supporting active healthy school communities 32 It’s easy for schools to start 1.Identify an Active School Leader 2.Complete registration by fax or online at Ophea.net 3.Order free materials from Ophea 4.Receive guides, classroom posters and tracking posters from Ophea 5.Complete activities and send in forms regularly to become eligible for prizes and recognition.

33 How can active schools meet my needs in the public health field?

Supporting active healthy school communities 34 Benefits of Active Schools to public health professionals AlignedAligned: Meet your Mandatory Health Program and Services guidelines. FreeFree: Program, rewards, & materials you can really use to promote activity in schools. ValidValid: Established, researched, field-tested, evaluated, and validated program you can depend on. EasyEasy: Just help the schools plug in and track the fun! Co-PromotedCo-Promoted: Use Active Schools as a vehicle to support other events and activities. SupportedSupported: Free access to the Active Schools Team to assist you and the school communities you serve.

35 How can I get started? What are my next steps?

Supporting active healthy school communities 36 Start here! Start now! 1.Talk 1.Talk: Word of mouth is the most common reason why schools register. 2.Visit 2.Visit: Face-to-face support is a key success factor for recruitment and use of the program. 3.Justify 3.Justify: See how Active Schools actually relates to and supports Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines that require public health to work with schools and encourage physical activity. 4.Connect 4.Connect: Remind people how common and existing events benefit from Active Schools. 5.Link 5.Link: Bring your knowledge of community resources to the schools to help them launch. 6.Recruit 6.Recruit: Help the school community find its own Active School Leader. 7.Surf 7.Surf: Visit ophea.net with a colleague to see how easy it is to register.

37 It’s fun, it’s free, it builds on what’s going on, and it promotes healthy living.

Supporting active healthy school communities 38 Contact Julie Taylor Project Leader Ophea