Wellness Fund Summary Report - Highlights for Community Partners

What’s Inside Summary Report | 2010

Project Reporting Results

• Healthy school community activities implemented by projects • Project impacts on students • Building Partnerships • Partner Contributions • Volunteer Contributions

Sharing the Success of Wellness Fund Projects:

Highlights for Community Partners The Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund would like to recognize all community partners for their contributions to Wellness Fund projects!

The Wellness Fund has compiled a brief summary to share the excellent work of funded projects and the impacts reported. This information is a reflection of data collected between 2009 and 2010.

Wellness Fund Reach Since 2007

Wellness Fund Reach Wellness Fund projects are well on their way to developing sustainable healthy school communities using a comprehensive school health approach!

Thanks to the hard work of 100 projects funded since 2007, healthy school communities are being developed in over 600 schools, impacting more than 200,000 K – 12 students across Alberta. This equates to over one third of all Albertan students!

Edmonton (13) Calgary (10) Medicine Hat Lethbridge (5) LEGEND District level project

School level project

Sharing the Success of Wellness Fund Projects: Highlights for Project Leaders

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Healthy School Community Activities Implemented by Projects The following chart highlights activities that students and staff participated in as part of the healthy school community project taking place at their school.

Healthy Eating Activities

Active Living Activities

• Partnered with dietitians to ensure that food and beverages sold or served in the school are consistent with the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines

• Alternate physical activity classes, such has hip hop, yoga, cross-fit, or zumba for students and staff

• Development of a school/ district nutrition policy using a collaborative approach • Grocery store and/or restaurant sponsored healthy food programs (breakfast clubs, cooking clubs, hot lunch program) • School-based vegetable garden planted and cultivated by students, with produce contributing to cafeteria lunches

• Mobile Classroom – e.g., bike to science class in the forest • Pedometer challenge for staff across a school district • Creation of school and community walking paths • “Geo-caching” – treasure hunting using GPS • Positive Playgrounds activities

• Healthy bake sales

Positive Social Environments Activities • Creation of gardens and socializing areas for all school community members • Partnered with the local seniors home to create a reciprocal mentoring program • Student-run leadership clubs building on cross-grade relationships • Positive Playgrounds activities • Families invited to participate in classroom activities • Sandwiches made and delivered to the homeless by students • Partnered with the larger community to support positive relationship initiatives

School communities have also found success with the use of professional development opportunities, workshops for students and staffs, and health promotion-focused resources.

“A relationship was formed with the [local bread supplier] driver, who donated any excess bread to the school. Once a week, a volunteer drove down to the local grocery store to meet the truck and pick up whatever he could offer us. This ranged from 12 loaves and up.” – Vice Principal

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Project Impacts on Students Making healthier food choices “By role modeling and educating … on the benefits of eating and drinking healthier and the effects… on [students’] ability to perform physical activities, students began choosing healthier options; water not soft drinks during periods of physical activity.”

- Principal

Shaping and embracing healthy improvements to their school community “We were able to renovate and purchase equipment for a school fitness facility. The students became involved in the process and painted murals on the walls, taking ownership of the space.” - Principal

Getting active

Taking charge of their health

“Students who typically are not engaged in physical activity are now active, enjoying school and are motivated to learn.”

- Lead Teacher

“We have students identifying themselves as successful contributing members of their community, and that they can make healthy choices.”

- Family School Liaison

Students are:

Seeking out positive relationships

Feeling a stronger sense of community at school

“Students eat and participate in events with their ‘Family Grouping’ which has resulted in a calmer lunchroom and multi-age groupings and friendships.” - Lead Teacher

Increasing their “healthy” knowledge and skills “The students involved in the project … spent valuable time developing character skills.” Lead Teacher

“…reports from teachers at [district project] indicate that …there is an increase in teamwork, unity and school spirit among students.” - Health and Physical Education Consultant

Becoming leaders “Our involvement with [district project] has lead to a leadership initiative within our school which has involved many students in positive social and physical behaviours. It has allowed for a leadership role model relationship to emerge between our younger and older students…” - Lead Teacher

Sharing the Success of Wellness Fund Projects: Highlights for Community Partners 3

For more information, please contact: Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund Centre for Health Promotion Studies University of Alberta 5-10 University Terrace 8303 - 112 Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2T4

Our Partners Alberta Health and Wellness

TEL: (780) 492-2537 FAX: (780) 492-9579 EMAIL: healthyschools@ualberta.ca​​

Alberta Education University of Alberta, Centre for Health Promotion Studies

www.achsc.org/wellness_fund.htm

Alberta Coalition for Healthy School Communities

Building Partnerships

Partner Contributions

During 2009/10, Wellness Fund projects leveraged volunteer, in-kind, and financial support through existing and new partnerships. The pie chart shows the relative breakdown of these contributions in relation to Wellness Fund grants awarded. Volunteer and in-kind contribution percentages are based on the estimated dollar value of contributions made.

In-Kind Material Contributions 7%

Volunteer Hours 15%

In-Kind Loaned Staff Contributions 22%

Wellness Fund Grants 35%

Additional Funding 21%

Volunteer Contributions •

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1,926 volunteers assisted with 32 school level projects (78% of all school level projects), 15 district level projects (83.3% of all district level projects) and one agency project

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The development of collaborative partnerships was described as a key aspect in developing healthy school communities

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438 new or existing partnerships were developed from the private sector, public sector and not-for-profit organizations

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Partnerships were identified by both district level and school level projects as a resource to ensure the sustainability of their project

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Partnership contributions included: •

Financial support/donation

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Resources

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Workshops/professional development

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Assistance with a healthy eating program

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Physical Resource

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Personnel/Staff

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Steering committee/Advisory committee member

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Food donation

36,874 volunteer hours (average of 19.14 hrs per volunteer) were completed

“We have definitely made a good start to implementing a very positive program that is changing the behaviour and attitudes of our students. … As we see the students taking their new knowledge and sharing it with family and friends, it is very likely to benefit the community as a whole.” – Principal

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