Article submitted by: Perth District Health Unit and Huron County Health Unit
The Perth District and Huron County Health Units, in collaboration with the in motion partnership, the Avon Maitland District School Board, and the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board, are working together to keep local kids healthy. The Young Active and Healthy! (YAH!) Youth Leadership Workshop was designed to contribute to both the early prevention of risk-taking behaviours and the development of protective factors in elementary-aged youth by encouraging and teaching leadership skills.
YAH! was a one-day workshop that trained students to become active members on Healthy School Committees and as playground games leaders. Participating students learned how to become more involved in decision-making, planning, and implementing activities to help create healthier learning environments. The YAH! Workshops were made possible by a Healthy Communities Fund grant provided by the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport.
In 2010, each local elementary school was encouraged to invite a total of eight to ten Grade 5 – 7 students accompanied by at least one teacher and one parent representative to attend YAH! Students selected to attend participated in two skill-building sessions: Steps to Creating a Healthy School; and Playground Games and Safety Training. Each session was an hour and 45 minutes in length. General leadership skills and physical activity breaks were incorporated at various points throughout the day.
The first session, Steps to Creating a Healthy School, focused on the role students can play on a Healthy School Committee. It included a visioning and priority setting session to help schools establish a Healthy School goal and plan Healthy School activities to implement throughout the year.
The Playground Games and Safety Training session, helped increase students’ physical activity levels while promoting injury prevention. The training provided students with fair play and conflict resolution skills, playground safety lessons and taught them a variety of games to share with their peers back at school.
While a majority of the workshop focused on developing leadership skills in students, adults in attendance learned practical ways to engage students in their classrooms and homes. Teachers and parents were provided with student engagement skills to help them to create additional leadership opportunities for their students.
The YAH! Workshops provided students, teachers, and parents with the opportunity to work together to improve the health of their school community. By involving students in Healthy School activities, students feel more included in school life and are more likely to experience positive health outcomes. As well, students now have the resources they need to address key concerns such as physical inactivity and safety hazards on the playground.
Since YAH! was first implemented in January 2010, six workshops were held across Perth and Huron counties, and over 625 students were trained. Evaluation results showed that the YAH! Workshops significantly contributed to increasing youth engagement in Perth and Huron elementary schools.
As students became more confident in their own leadership skills, they were also more involved in planning and implementing activities to help make their whole school healthier. As stated by one student after the workshop, “At the YAH! Workshop they taught us how to be a leader, how to have fun, how to get people together, how to ask.”
Some of the highlights from the YAH! evaluation include:
- Ninety-five percent of students reported they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that after attending the workshop they have more confidence to take on a leadership role at their school
- Eighty-seven percent reported having more confidence in working with adults
- The number of schools that offered peer-led playground games at their school increased by 50% after the workshop
- Upon completion of the workshop, 81% of respondents felt that more students are engaged in school activities since attending YAH!
To view the full evaluation:
- Visit www.pdhu.on.ca and click on “PDHU Reports” found under “About Us”
- Call the Health Line at 519-271-7600 ext 267 or toll-free at 1-877-271-7348 ext 267