our
approach
The Canadian Healthy Schools Alliance is a Canada-wide network of organizations promoting health and well-being in school communities to improve learning and set students up for lifelong success.
We work to displace an antiquated paradigm about student well-being. According to the old way of thinking, students are isolated individuals with discrete inputs and outputs: provide them with a healthy breakfast and some physical activity, and the result is a student ready to learn.
In contrast to this individualistic and mechanical approach, we believe in a holistic view of student well-being—one that considers individual and community health simultaneously. In this new paradigm, we consider social, relational, and systemic dimensions of well-being like fairness and equity alongside a student’s individual emotional state, the mental health of the teachers, and so much more.
Equipped with a more comprehensive approach to well-being, our goal is to help every school in Canada tend to their community’s individual and collective health so that each and every student gets a fair chance at success.
OUR
DECLARATION
Well-being is an essential precondition for learning and an integral part of leading a flourishing life.
Every student has the right to be healthy and to learn in an environment that sets them up for success.
Since children and youth spend most of their time in school, it’s a unique setting which critically impacts their well-being and establishes lifelong habits. In healthy school communities, students, staff and families work together to prioritize holistic well-being in every aspect of the school community. This ensures that each and every child has the foundation they need to learn, to thrive, and to enjoy lifelong success.
There is a growing movement dedicated to empowering every school in Canada to become a healthy school community. We call ourselves the Canadian Healthy Schools Alliance, and we work together to achieve our mission in the following ways:
1. Advocating for policies and investments that address health and well-being across the entire school system, including students, staff, and school system leaders.
2. Uniting partners beyond the education sector, working with other fields including health, social services, sports and recreation.
3. Learning from what works and accelerating the adoption of successful initiatives from the local level to the national level.
4. Integrating evidence and research into everything we do.
We invite you to join us by signing this Declaration below and committing to championing its principles.
Sign our Declaration to show your support for Healthy School Communities.
Alliance Leadership
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is comprised of four organizations: Ever Active Schools (EAS) in Alberta, Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea), Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada, and Settings-based Intervention Research through Changes in Lifestyles & Environments (SIRCLE Lab) in Alberta.
The Steering Committee provides leadership, vision and strategic direction to the overall work of the Alliance.
Melanie Davis, PHE Canada
Chris Markham, Ophea
Dr. Kate Storey, SIRCLE Lab
Brian Torrance, Ever Active Schools
Advisory committee
The Advisory Committee represents individuals, organizations and associations that have a shared interest in the strategic direction and future of the Alliance. Advisory Committee members bring valuable perspectives, expertise, connections, credibility or influence to help drive the work of the Alliance forward.
Carol Sarich - Canadian Association of Principals
Ken Bain - CASSA-ACGCS
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake - CSBA
Max Cooke - EdCan
Doug Gleddie and Lauren Sulz - Healthy Schools Lab (University of Alberta)
Lindy Amato - Ontario Teachers’ Federation
Franz Plangger - Outdoor Council of Canada
Gail Lalonde - School Mental Health Ontario