BRUNO, Sask. – Bruno has said yes to a healthier school body.
The school has adopted the Youth Empowerment Strategies, or YES project, to promote good health and lifestyles. Partners for Rural Family Support, based in Humboldt, Sask., got two years of funding from Health Canada for the YES program for rural regions.
Saskatchewan Lotteries, Saskatoon health, school divisions, businesses and community agencies have also provided funding and support for the project and its leadership camps.
The goal of Bruno’s program is to promote positive, healthy lifestyles in the kindergarten to Grade 12 school.
Read Also
Extreme rain increases as planet warms
In this issue, we are going to wrap up our look at extreme rainfall by examining the different weather patterns that tend to be associated with these rainfall events.
Teacher and YES project adviser Diane Buckle said the program is different than a predecessor called Fly Higher, which targeted teenaged girls. YES examines a number of health issues ranging from smoking and stress to body image and nutrition.
“The biggest change is from the school to the community. It keeps positive lifestyles in school and takes it to our community and to the boys,” she said.
Buckle noted students direct the program and provide the leadership.
The group gathers to count the milk money, host dances and organize physical activities and games.
“They have to have fun while they do it,” said Buckle.
On Oct. 7, students had prepaid cartons of Dairyland milk with their noon school lunches, doled out by students dressed like members of the opposite sex for a school spirit day. Dairyland contributed to the fun, providing some milk cartons that make a moo sound and offered rewards.
The YES group kicked off this year’s milk program by distributing free milk and nutrition advice to the entire school. They also used an interfaith service for the community to serve up fruit juices, cookies and more campaigning about making healthy meal selections.
Marcel Tremel, in Grade 6, said he would likely be drinking something else if the milk program was not available.
Jenna Stadnyk, a member of the YES committee, said many children bring a lot of processed food for lunch each day. In addition to milk, YES offers muffins on Mondays and submarine sandwiches once a month.
It also organized a school breakfast, serving fruit, milk, bread and cereals.
“They start to realize they’d have a better day, and a good start in the morning. It’s healthier,” said Stadnyk.
“Some kids come in the morning and look so exhausted. This would freshen them up.”
Ten Bruno students attended a summer camp this year, aimed at developing leaders to create YES projects in their schools.
The students then approached local businesses for donations of food and money for the program.
“The goal is not to make money but to promote healthy lifestyles,” said student Sarah Collins.
Leanne Peters, who co-ordinates the YES program for the Partners for Rural Family Support, said projects vary in each community.
A group at Fishing Lake is seeking to make all band offices smoke-free.
She said the message is best delivered to children by their peers.
“Kids will listen to a 17 year old over a 40 year old no matter how cool I think I am,” said Peters.
She will work with youth committees to set up a website, plan events and support student teams and advisers with their projects.
For more information on setting up YES projects, contact Peters at 866-682-4135.
