Report on the 2007-08
Action Schools! BC Healthy Eating
Pilot Project
Date: April 24, 2008
Prepared by: Shannon Duke, RN, CDE
Healthy Eating Resources for Yukon Schools Project Consultant and
Caroline Sparks, C. Sparks Consulting Diabetes Project Evaluation Consultant
Background to the Pilot Project:
The Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon initiated Healthy Eating Resources for Yukon Schools (HERYS) in response to the need identified in the Yukon Diabetes Strategy to incorporate healthy eating resources into schools. Although healthy eating has been part of the curriculum, what is being taught and consistent health messages appeared to vary from teacher to teacher. Teachers had identified access to resources and lack of nutrition knowledge to be key barriers to teaching healthy eating in the classroom. In collaboration with the Department of Education and Food for Learning, the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon (RPAY) has been instrumental in providing support and resources to Yukon schools and teachers through the B.C. Dairy Foundation’s healthy eating curriculum for three years.
During the 2007-08 school year, RPAY piloted Action Schools! BC - Healthy Eating activities for Yukon teachers. Differing from the BC Dairy Foundation’s healthy eating curriculum, Action Schools! BC - Healthy Eating activities provide a framework from which teachers can create supportive healthy eating environments in their classrooms. This framework offers options for small learning activities that can be easily integrated into classrooms throughout the school year.
The primary emphasis of Action Schools! BC (ASBC) - Healthy Eating activities is to increase awareness and consumption of vegetables and fruit as recent studies demonstrate the relationship of vegetable and fruit consumption to health. The ASBC resources and training, which are linked to the new Health and Career Curriculum, provide ideas, activities and tools related to learning about fruits and vegetables, to tracking consumption, to tasting, and to appropriate snacking. The pilot project was financially supported through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian Diabetes Strategy. Funding was made possible through a joint Community-Based Diabetes Project sponsored by the Yukon Diabetes Education Centre and the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon. Key partners in the project included the Department of Education, Food for Learning and Active Yukon Schools. The Yukon Teacher’s Association generously supported travel and substitutes for the training workshops.
The Pilot Project:
The pilot project took place during the 2007-08 fiscal year. It involved training local trainers, delivering training workshops, coordinating resource distribution, providing ongoing support to teachers using the resources, and evaluating results. Initially, Shannon Duke, Project Coordinator was trained as a mentor for the Action Schools! BC – Healthy Eating activities. She subsequently trained Jeanne Burke, the Active Yukon Schools Coordinator, and Kim Hunter, the Food for Learning dietitian, as leaders for the training workshops.
Training off 22 teachers took place during three workshops. Ten Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers participated in training on November 30, 2007. Another ten Grade 4 to 7 teachers participated on January 17, 2008. Two Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers were trained at an event at Elijah Smith School on December 7, 2007. An additional 4 teachers from Grey Mountain Primary, Whitehorse Elementary School, Robert Service School, and Old Crow were not able to attend the official training dates. They were trained at their own schools at a convenient time. All teachers who were trained received the ASBC Healthy Eating Action Pack. A value of $350, these packs provide a broad range of resources such as a teacher’s manual, a family healthy hamper, healthy eating placemats, posters, kitchen utensils, flashcards and vegetable tracking bracelets. Workshop evaluations were completed by all 26 teachers and follow-up evaluations were distributed at the end of March 2008. The follow-up evaluation requested feedback regarding use of the materials and recommendations for supplementary resources. Feedback received was very positive. Therefore, RPAY has planned and completed preparations to provide ASBC Healthy Eating training opportunities and resources at the YTA conference in September 2008.
Pilot Project Results:
Through the pilot project:
26 teachers received training and the Action Pack resources.
12 Yukon schools received ASBC Healthy Eating Action Packs; 5 of these schools were in the communities of Carcross, Carmacks, Dawson City, Old Crow and Teslin. The training workshops were well received:
All 26 teachers agreed that the workshops were well presented and met their needs as a teacher.
Most teachers indicated that they felt comfortable using the resources and accessing support.
“I was motivated to try the activities as soon as I had the in-service. The materials were very exciting to
receive—an added incentive”
Of the 18 teachers who responded to the final evaluation:
100% had implemented during the 2007-08 school year, or were planning to implement, ASBC Healthy Eating activities.
100% would recommend these resources and activities to other teachers 100% commented that the program and resources are:
user-friendly and easy to integrate into classroom learning;
offer clear lesson plans with sensible learning outcomes;
provide fun and enjoyable activities for learning about health and nutrition; and
provide a sufficient amount and variety of activities.
“It was easy to link the ideas and practices to other curriculum and non-curriculum items.”
“Learning outcomes are sensible – didn’t take up too much time but seemed valuable.”
Teachers reported that children were:
enthusiastic and eager to participate;
they enjoyed the activities, stories, foods and posters; and
they loved being able to cook and eat healthy foods.
“Students loved being in charge and more aware of eating healthier.”
“Parents were surprised that their children are getting involved in making healthier lunches.” “Parents couldn’t believe their kids ate zucchini and other items.”
About the ASBC Action Pack resources:
All teachers were given their own personal set of resources. 40% of these teachers believed strongly enough in the value and usefulness of the resources to go out of their way to share them with other staff.
Teachers commented that without training and support, other teachers would not likely use the resources or implement activities.
65% of final evaluation respondents would like to have available supplementary resources and supports about “eating locally” and “growing locally”.
50% of final evaluation respondents would like access to resources and materials that focus in traditional diet and the nutritional values of traditional foods.
Program Continuation:
For three years with the financial support of Health Canada, RPAY has worked to bring meaningful and useful healthy eating resources into the school system. B.C. Dairy Foundation resources are successfully being used in schools and are now being sustained by the Department of Education. The Action School B.C. healthy eating resources, piloted for the first time in the Yukon, were highly rated by the teachers who used them. Teacher feedback indicates strong support for continued use of these materials and activities in classroom settings.
One teacher commented on the final evaluation that “with curriculum getting bigger and more in-depth, if good resources are not made available, many teachers gloss over the surface of the required learning outcomes just to say they have been covered, and students don’t really learn”. It was evident on the final evaluations that teachers find the ASBC Healthy Eating resources relevant to the curriculum, user-friendly, motivating for students, and easily integrated into daily routines. However, it was also very evident that teachers are not likely to use these resources or to implement healthy eating activities without training and support. Thus, it is recommended to increase training opportunities and access to the ASBC Healthy Eating resources.
An apparent shift in school curriculum to include healthy eating alongside active living is occurring. This shift is supported at a national level through the Integrated Healthy Living Strategy and has become evident in the Yukon over the past few years. Ongoing implementation of ASBC Healthy Eating activities will support schools to meet expectations related to healthy eating education.
Although RPAY has been instrumental in getting healthy eating resources into Yukon schools, it is difficult for the non-profit to sustain what has been accomplished. Through its Active Yukon Schools program, RPAY is in a position to promote both active living and healthy eating. However, RPAY’s efforts are often hampered by scarce resources and limited political clout. Thus, it is recommended that RPAY continues to seek out funding sources in collaboration with government and non-profit partners to maintain efforts to bring healthy eating knowledge and resources into Yukon schools.
ASBC Healthy Eating resources have been piloted in B.C. An evaluation of the pilot shows positive results. It has been found that when children develop knowledge about healthy eating, they feel empowered and make healthy choices on their own.
Teachers voiced their support for the use of these B.C. resources in Yukon classrooms. However, several suggestions for supplementing the B.C. resources in order to provide a Yukon perspective on healthy eating were offered. Supplements related to “local foods” or “eating local”, as well as resources about traditional diets and the nutritional values of traditional foods would be an asset. Food for Learning and Active Yukon Schools have initiated dialogue with Yukon Agriculture to identify how such supplements may be developed. Thus, it is recommended that partners support the efforts to develop and implement Yukon supplements to the ASBC Healthy Eating resources.
It is recognized that many factors in addition to healthy eating and active living contribute to the health and well-being of our children and our communities. The determinants of health include a range of other socio-economic factors that will impact the success of initiatives such as this. Thus, it is recommended that core partners work with other stakeholders to avoid duplication of resources and messaging and to achieve broader reaching outcomes.
