SAYCW’s Inter-sectoral Approach

in Promoting Youth Health and

Well-being

Lessons Learned from Schools and Community Partnership

Prevention Matters 2017: Standing Together for Children’s Health

October 5, 2017

Faculty/Presenter Disclosure

Presenters:

Adel Panahi, Saskatchewan Alliance for Youth and

Community Well-being

Rick Croshaw, Big River Public High School

Relationships with commercial interests:

None

CFPC COI: Slide 1

Disclosure of Commercial Support

Prevention Matters has received financial support from:

– Community Action Plan for Children

in the form of an educational grant.

This program has received in-kind support from the Saskatchewan

Prevention Institute in the form of logistical support.

Potential for conflict(s) of interest:

No conflicts of interest

CFPC COI: Slide 2

Mitigating Potential Bias

Does not apply

CFPC COI: Slide 3

Presentation Overview

SAYCW Overview

Youth Health Survey Overview

Highlights of Provincial Results

Translating Knowledge into Action

Next steps

Big River Public High School Garden Project

SAYCW

Saskatchewan Alliance for Youth and Community Well-being

Alliance of health, education and other community stakeholders dedicated to

improving the health and well-being of the Saskatchewan population

Over 30 partner organizations

Co-chaired by the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA) and the League of

Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents of Saskatchewan

(LEADS)

Demographics

Oral Health

Sun / Ultraviolet Radiation Safety

Nutrition

Food Insecurity

Physical Activity

Youth Health Survey Content

Healthy Weights

Sleep

Mental Health and Well-being

School Engagement and Support

Substance Use (Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs)

Sexual Health

Survey pilot in Fall 2014

Students in Grades 7 to 12

Census style survey – all schools and all students (i.e., no sampling strategy)

Online survey (paper-based option for rural and remote schools)

Survey was translated into French

Survey administration by Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit (SELU)

Survey implemented in Spring and Fall 2015

Survey Implementation

9,230 students from across the province completed the survey

116 schools and 18 School Divisions and authorities

Response rate of 13% of all Grade 7 to 12 students in Saskatchewan (n=66,565)

School-aged youth who do not attend school were not sampled and are not

represented

Provincial Participation

SAYCW Provincial Results

Snapshot of Saskatchewan students’ health

Not a recommendations report

Identifies areas that require attention

Appropriate for stakeholders, decision-makers, general public

Frequencies (tables and figures)

No cross-tabs – except by sex and grade/age

Demographics

Sun Safety

Sun Safety

Nutrition

Nutrition

Meal Habits – Breakfast

Food Security

Physical Activity

Screen Time

Healthy Weights

Weight Perception

Sleep

Perception of Health

Self Esteem

Safety

Self-Harm

Suicide

Tobacco Use

Second-Hand Smoke

Alcohol Use

Drug Use

Drug Use

Sexual Experiences

Safer Sex

Translating Knowledge into Action

Comprehensive School Community Health

(CSCH)

Healthy students are better learners, and

better educated individuals are healthier

saskatchewan.ca

Community Action Plan

Form a Team

Review and Assess

Brainstorm Areas of Action

Outline Your Plan of Action

Rally Your Resources

Take Action

Celebrate, Reflect and Evaluate

Healthy Schools and Communities Grant

Positively impact youth health by supporting actions and initiatives at the school

and/or community level through developing inter-sectoral connections.

Available to schools and communities regardless of their participation in the SAYCW

Youth Health Survey

Use findings from school, school division, health region or Provincial level reports

21 applications totaling $131,390 were funded in the first application period

21 applications totaling $145,170 were funded in the second application period

29 applications have developed inter-sectoral connections with 4 and more

organizations to plan and implement their health promoting actions

Next Steps

Recruiting more schools for the second cycle of Youth Health Survey

Providing continued support for schools to utilize their reports

Developing new tools for schools to use in their planning

Expanding the Community Action Teams and supporting schools and communities to

develop inter-sectoral connections in their youth health promotion efforts.

Big River Public High School:

School Garden Project

School and Community Partnership

A Little About Us:

Small Northern community of approximately 800 people

Main industry is lumber but recently a mover towards the oil

industry

Two great schools – T.D. Michel which is Pre-K to 6 and of

course BRPHS which hosts 99 great kids from Grade 7 to 12

Unique Facts

47% of our student population are from split homes

26% of students have parents working away from home

10% of students parents work night shift

7% of students WITHOUT any parents at all

Which means:

On any given night - 83% of our students will sit down to

supper without both parents present

Compared to: 17% of students of students that come from traditional

homes

About Me:

Born and raised in West Central Saskatchewan

2 parents, 1 brother and 1 sister

Typical small town farming community

Got into education after completing high school

Room mate at University convinced me to do my internship in the north so I ended up in Meath Park, SK. My cooperating teacher sent me in the Big River direction 26 years ago and I fell in love with the area and the school.

Teacher for 10 years, VP for 5 years and now Principal for the last 11 years.

Short stint between both school but always part of BRPHS

What I have learnt:

Traditional School vs Student Voice School

The power of the student voice.

Student Voice at BRPHS

Who?

What?

When?

Issues?

SAYCW Report

Upon receiving the report I met with out Student Voice group

to share and discuss the findings.

Discussion focused on healthy eating and the lack of available

options for our students.

Typical lunch – pre-packaged items, microwaveable items,

high sugar food or cash to hit up the local restaurants.

The kids wanted change and the change they wanted was

healthier so we pretty much had to listen.

The Lunch Program:

The lunch program started with the idea of one hot meal a week – prepared by

students and myself.

When we approached the Lakeland Coop Grocery Store about supplying pizza they

suggested that they would do it once a week.

Kids not wanting just pizza convinced me to do the hot meals still once a week.

One day/week quickly became two days/week

The menu was set and when we asked the secretary to roof read the pre-order

form she suggested a salad day.

1 day = 2 days = 3 days

Every Tuesday was Salad Tuesday - $2 for a salad

Every Wednesday was Pizza Day - $3 for a big slice of pizza

Every Friday became Hot Meal Friday – $5 for a full meal

The Garden Project:

The difficulties with getting fresh fruit and veggies

while living in Northern Saskatchewan

Our Solution – The Tower Garden

Self-contained and can be utilized all year long

both inside and out.

Provides fresh veggies and fruit to the students.

Provides curriculum connections and hands on

experience

Giving Back:

Thinking small is not what our students do – they want to help others and the suggestion came to have both Tower Gardens and a Community Garden.

Tower Gardens were purchased with the help from the SAYCW grant and to this day we grow fresh products in the school.

We presently host 5 Tower Gardens in the school. Some in the classrooms and some in the foyer.

Used for salad Tuesdays and students can help themselves to dress up their meal.

The Best Gift of All:

The smiles on the faces of the Senior Citizens

and lower income houses when the delivery of

fresh produce comes to their step

The smiles on the students faces when they

see the joy they shared with someone else

The partnerships and relationships that have

been built and continue to get built between

the generations in our community.

The Actual Garden Project:

5 Garden Towers in the School &

A Community Garden by the Health

Center

Providing fresh produce to our families

52 weeks of the year.

Our Partners: just a phone call away

Big River 4-H Multiple Club

Saskatchewan Rivers School Division

Town of Big River

Lakewood Lodge

Big River High School

Student Voice

Key Players Making this Happen:

4-H Leaders –Nicki and Clint Panter

School Secretary – Chelsey Crashley

Student Voice Panel – Emma Panter, James

Hiltz, Keara Leong-Machielse, Devyn Gear and

Mason Millar

Town Of Big River – Noreen Olsen

And many others behind the scenes people

How has this Changed our School and

Community:

Healthy eating means healthy minds

Healthy minds means happy kids

Feeling that together “We Can Do It”

Office referrals down from an average of 11 per day to only 2 this year so far

Improved relationships between staff, students and parents

It has the students dreaming bigger and bigger.

Foyer

Chaykowski Field

Track and Field

Transformational Change of our own – flexible seating

Future Plans:

Continue to grow on this project

More Garden Towers

Bigger Community Garden

5 day a week lunch program

100% Graduation rates

100% post-secondary plans

Make BRPHS go viral for all the right reasons.

Dream Big because Everything

Good Starts with a Dream!

Thank you for your attention