THE CHECKUP
northernlightshealthfoundation.ca/donate
Fall 2016
With a family history of obesity and diabetes, Jenn
stays active by playing high school basketball.
Lately, she’s been missing practice to hang out with
her friends and started to experiment with drugs.
Her grades are slipping and her ability to pursue
a post-secondary education is in jeopardy. It’s an
all too familiar scenario as obesity rates and
substance abuse in school-aged children surpass
that of all the generations before them. By
incorporating healthy lifestyle education in Wood
Buffalo’s learning environments, we can reverse the
higher than average provincial rate of health risks
such as obesity, diabetes, inactivity and smoking.
The goal of our Healthy Schools Project is to
improve the overall health and wellness of the school
population in Wood Buffalo. Healthy Schools will work
in partnership with Public Health to support students in
developing and maintaining healthy habits that will last
a lifetime. We will target all ages and focus on disease
prevention, physical activity, healthy eating, mental
health promotion and substance use prevention.
The best place to deliver programs to children, young
adults and their families is within the educational
setting. For our students to have the best possible health
outcomes, education for their families, support systems,
community partners, and education staff is necessary.
This collaborative approach will be implemented in all
schools in Wood Buffalo and is supported by Northlands
School Division, the Fort McMurray Public School District
and the Fort McMurray Catholic School District.
“There is a proven need to strengthen
collaboration between health and education for
the health of our students which directly impacts
learning environments.”
With your support, we can change health behaviours at
an early age, and create a better future and outlook for
Wood Buffalo’s next generation.
- Jordanna Lambert, Director, Population and Public
Health (North Zone)
Donate. Volunteer. Get Involved.
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