PHE Canada recently wrapped on a pilot program, Active Living After Schools, after over-whelming demand for resources to help plan and execute an program to fill this time period. Working with GoodLife Kids Foundation, we piloted an After School resource and provided training to assist organizations in creating quality after school programs with a focus on moderate to vigorous physical activity and healthy eating.

This program was created as a response to increasing childhood obesity rates and decreasing physical activity levels. Sadly, Canada has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the developed world, ranking fifth out of 34 developed countries. The after school time period (3 – 6pm) has been identified as a critical determinant of childhood physical activity. Approximately 50 per cent of total daily steps taken by children and youth occur in this time period. Many children and youth left alone during the after school time period tend to watch television, use the computer, or play video games instead of playing outdoors, both by child preference and through parental directive. Researchers also report poor eating habits and increased crime and antisocial behaviour during this time.

The program resources includes a How to Guide for running After School programs, as well as a Physical Activity Equipment Tote Bag that was generously donated by Wintergreen for the pilot. 

We have also partnered with HIGH FIVE to complete the Training Component of the program. HIGH FIVE’s Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD) training includes information on the social emotional and cognitive development of children. The training has been revised to include relevant information on physical literacy, Fundamental Movement Skills, moderate to vigorous physical activity and healthy eating. In addition, HIGH FIVE Trainers delivered 11 one-day adapted Principles of Healthy Child Development training to 168 participants.

Feedback from the workshops have been very positive. In speaking with Nancy Sparks, coordinator of the Bridgetown Regional Elementary School After School program, Nova Scotia, she expressed excitement and hope leading up to their participation in the pilot.

“How exciting! The parcel arrived on my doorstep today and …it was like Christmas here,” she says. “We really appreciated the amount of resources provided in the manual, there were many activities that we hadn’t thought of, and we wish we could have had this information available to us when we started our own After School Program.”

For Bridgetown Regional Elementary After School a highlight of the pilot was receiving the equipment tote bag from Wintergreen. 

“Before participating in the pilot, we didn’t have any of our own equipment to use after-school, which made keeping the children busy on bad weather days difficult,” said Sparks. “The fact that we now have our own equipment, and new ideas on games to engage the children with, has really enhanced the quality of our After School program.”

When the call for pilot schools first went out, over 160 organizations applied for 29 available spots. PHE Canada is currently reviewing the feedback from the pilot sites. This feedback will be used to make revisions to the How-to Guide, the Physical Activity Equipment Tote Bag and the Training Component before the program rolls out.

For information on when the full Active Living After School program will be rolled out, check in with our blog  on a regular basis.