HEALTHY SCHOOLS BC NEWSLETTER - December 2021
News

New Educator Toolkit for Exploring Canada’s Food Guide 
Teach Food First supports educators with tips, resources, and lesson plans for exploring Canada’s food guide in the classroom while encouraging positive food experiences. Teach Food First lessons align with the B.C. curriculum, are grade-specific and age-appropriate and were developed with equity and cultural inclusivity in mind. The resources and lessons were developed in collaboration with B.C. dietitians and tested by B.C. educators. Find out more. 

Articles

Teachers’ Memories Affect How They Challenge School Inequalities 
Recent research has found that teachers' childhood memories carry important clues about how likely they are to challenge inequalities in schools. Educators who reported salient memories about feeling protected at school were more likely to assume all children experience the same level of protection and innocence. On the other hand, educators who remembered being bullied, left out, or ignored, connected these experiences with an analysis of systemic inequalities. Find out more.  


Stories

Share2Care: Promising Practices to Promote Mental Well-being 
Share2Care is an initiative from PHE Canada that aims to recognize and share unique, innovative, and promising mental health programs and initiatives from schools across Canada. Schools submitted their promising mental health practices for a chance to win a $2000 grant. Read stories from the seven schools who were selected during 2020. Promising practices range from an Indigenous Health Garden in Fort McMurray, Alberta, to a Mental Wellness Retreat Day in Whitehorse, Yukon. Find out more. 


Resources

Blueprint for Action from the Public Health Agency of Canada  
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has developed a Blueprint for Action and accompanying policy paper to support schools in preventing substance-related harms among youth. One of the purposes of the Blueprint is to encourage school communities to think differently about how they approach youth substance use. Interactive training workshops to help schools implement the Blueprint are offered through a partnership with PHAC and the Students Commission of Canada. To register for a workshop email info@studentscommission.ca. To download the Blueprint for Action visit the PHAC website.


Land Based Learning Resource List  
Land-based learning investigates our food and water systems through hands-on learning and an experiential approach, that is rooted in Indigenous teachings and world-views. Integrate land-based learning into your school with the help of the Land-Based Learning Resource List created by Farm to Cafeteria Canada. The series of resources includes short inspirational videos, comprehensive toolkits and hands-on activities. Find out more. 


Announcements

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant 
Do you have a vision for a schoolyard greening, community garden, or park revitalization project at your school? The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation offers grants to support a wide variety of environmental initiatives, with a focus on environmental education and green space programs. If you are planning to apply, the winter submission deadline is January 15th, 2022. Find out more.