News
UNESCO and WHO Urge Countries to Prioritize Healthy Schools
UNESCO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched the Global Standards for Health-promoting Schools, which is a resource package for schools to improve the health and well-being of students. The resource package is based on a set of eight global standards and aims to ensure that schools promote life skills, socioemotional skills and healthy lifestyles for everyone. This resource will help countries integrate health promotion into all schools and boost the well-being of students worldwide. Find out more.
Articles
Take Your Classroom Outside
Teaching outdoors fosters students’ cognitive, social, and physical development. Further, research has shown outdoor classrooms help decrease sedentary behaviour and encourage students to be more active, improve attention and motivation, and reduce stress levels. With a growing interest in the benefits of teaching outdoors, Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet of Université de Sherbrooke outlines five tips to help teachers begin their journey. Find out more.
Stories
Gulf Island Schools Explore Indigenous Ways of Wellness
The Gulf Islands School District (SD64) partnered with the Indigenous Health program at Island Health on a Healthy Schools BC Regional Grant. The intent of the grant was to provide students from Gulf Islands Secondary School and Salt Spring Middle School with the opportunity to explore Indigenous Ways of Wellness. The group organized “Youth on the Land” events for Indigenous students. These events provided students with the opportunity to learn from Elders about the foundation of culture, community, place, and traditional ways in which Indigenous peoples have tapped into their natural health and wisdom for generations. Find out more.
Comprehensive Sexual Health in SD 67
The Interior Health Authority and School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) partnered on a Healthy Schools BC Regional Grant to support the delivery of comprehensive sexual health to students. They formed a leadership team of teachers and public health nurses who set out to accomplish the goal of supporting educators to deliver comprehensive sexual health. Despite setbacks due to the pandemic, the group was able to collaborate and build a series of resources. Find out more.
Resources
Mindfulness App for Youth
The Breathr app was developed for youth by health professionals at BC Children’s Hospital with the help of young people. Download the free App to be guided through easy and fun mindfulness meditations and to learn skills to build a mindfulness practice. While the app was designed for youth it can be used by anyone whether you have one or 15-minutes to spare. Find out more.
New Vaping Toolkit for Secondary Students
Exploring the Cloud is a new toolkit from the British Columbia Lung Association that supports educators to deliver information on the known health risks of vaping to grade 8-10 students. Similar to their popular toolkit for grade 5-7 students, the older grades toolkit includes a PowerPoint presentation, integrated interactive activities, and videos to engage students. Find out more.
Announcements
Report on the Health and Wellness of First Nations Women and Girls
The First Nations Health Authority has released a new report detailing the health and wellness of First Nations women and girls in British Columbia. The report, titled Sacred and Strong - Upholding our Matriarchal Values, is grounded in First Nations perspectives of wellness and shares stories, cultural teachings, and data that reflect the well-being of First Nations women at every phase of life. Find out more.
