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Welcome!Welcome!

Ontario Physical & Health Ontario Physical & Health Education Association (Ophea)Education Association (Ophea)

Supporting active healthy school communitiesSupporting active healthy school communities2

OverviewOverview

– 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:

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““What’s What’s the the Active Active Schools Schools program?program?””

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Active Schools is…Active Schools is…• A fun, free programprogram 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.

• A flexible frameworkframework for recognizing the active practices that schools already have, and encouraging the implementation of additional initiatives that build upon existing programs and community resources.

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An easy An easy programprogram to to supportsupport

1. Schools complete 1 activity in each A-C-T-I-V-EA-C-T-I-V-E category to achieve a “level”.

2. Achieve 6 levels to be recognized as a “SuperActive SchoolSuperActive 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!

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ResourcesResources you can really you can really useuse

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.

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A A frameworkframework for for other other existingexisting programs and programs and

servicesservicesFor 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?

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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 What’s the whole point?point?

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Where does Where does Active Active

Schools Schools come from?come from?

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The Ontario Physical & The Ontario Physical & Health Education Health Education

AssociationAssociation• Ophea is a not-for-profit organization

• dedicated to supporting school communities through:

– Advocacy– Quality programs and services– Partnership building

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Ophea promotes Ophea promotes meaningful, active, meaningful, active,

healthy livinghealthy 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.

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Official Support Official Support

• The Active Schools program is managed by PARC and supported by the Ministry of Health Promotion .

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Why was the Why was the Active Active Schools Schools program program created?created?

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Inactivity during Inactivity during childhood is a real childhood is a real problem in Ontarioproblem 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.

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How well-How well-developed developed

is the is the Active Active

Schools Schools concept?concept?

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An established, An established, validated programvalidated program

1999 - Literature review

1999 - Focus groups

2000, 01 - Pilot projects and review in 27 schools

2001 - Launch through 396 schools

2004 - Expansion to include “Super-Active Schools” level

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What does What does the wordthe word “ACTIVE” “ACTIVE” represent?represent?

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AA ctive participation

CC o-curricular

TT eamwork

II nvolvement

VV alues

EE ducation

A-C-T-I-V-E categoriesA-C-T-I-V-E categories

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AActive participationctive participationRegular 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?

AA

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CCo-curricularo-curricularOrganized 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?

CC

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TTeamworkeamworkTeamwork occurs when students,

and teachers work together to get active within the school community.

• Play days

• Track and field

• activ8 challenge days

• other ideas?TT

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IInvolvementnvolvementGetting 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?

II

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VValues promotionalues promotionPromoting the importance of

being physically active in your school.

• Newsletters

• Announcements

• Posters

• Bulletin boards

• other ideas?

VV

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EEducationducationSchools 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?

EE

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What is What is ComprehensiComprehensi

ve School ve School Health?Health?

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Comprehensive Comprehensive School HealthSchool 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

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Comprehensive Comprehensive School HealthSchool Health

• A Comprehensive School Health approach aims to address the following Risk Factor Areas:Physical Inactivity Physical Inactivity Unhealthy Eating Unhealthy Eating Tobacco Use Tobacco Use Alcohol and Substance Use and AbuseAlcohol and Substance Use and Abuse

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Why Comprehensive Why Comprehensive School Health?School Health?

• The school is an ideal site for prevention initiatives – orchestrated active healthy living strategies in schools may be society’s most cost-effective cost-effective prevention strategy.

• CSH empowers children and their CSH empowers children and their communitiescommunities to alter their health-related behaviours and the environments that influence them.

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How does How does Active Active

Schools Schools meet the meet the needs of needs of students students

and and schools?schools?

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Motivating rewardsMotivating 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

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Benefits to school Benefits to school communitiescommunities

• 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.

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It’s easy for schools It’s easy for schools to startto 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.

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

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Benefits of Active Schools Benefits of Active Schools to public health to public health professionalsprofessionals

• 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.

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How can I get How can I get started? started?

WhatWhatarearemymynextnextsteps?steps?

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Start here! Start Start here! Start now!now!1.1. TalkTalk: Word of mouth is the most common reason why schools register.

2.2. VisitVisit: Face-to-face support is a key success factor for recruitment and use of the program.

3.3. JustifyJustify: 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.

4.4. ConnectConnect: Remind people how common and existing events benefit from Active Schools.

5.5. LinkLink: Bring your knowledge of community resources to the schools to help them launch.

6.6. RecruitRecruit: Help the school community find its own Active School Leader.

7.7. SurfSurf: Visit ophea.net with a colleague to see how easy it is to register.

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It’s fun, it’s free, It’s fun, it’s free, it builds on it builds on

what’s going on, what’s going on, and it promotes and it promotes healthy living.healthy living.

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ContactContact

activeschools@ophea.org

Julie Taylor

Project Leader

Ophea

416-426-7085