Healthy Schools Approach
Ophea’s Healthy Schools Approach is based on the 4-step Healthy Schools Process, inspired by the Canadian Healthy School Standards and Canada’s Comprehensive School Health Framework.
A Healthy School is one where school staff, parents, students, and community agencies work together to share ideas, plan and take action to create an environment that will have a positive impact on children’s health and learning. A Healthy Schools Approach follows the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework.
Follow the 4-step process to be certified as a gold, silver or bronze level Healthy School.
Youth Empowering Students for Mental Health (YES4MH)
YES4MH fits within the Healthy Schools Approach to improve the mental health and well-being of students and staff in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) by creating safe and welcoming school environments through student engagement and leadership. YES4MH is tailored to create a supportive and resilient school and community environment for youth in secondary schools in WDG.
YES4MH Vision & Goals
- Promote mental health & well-being.
- Improve mental health literacy & reduce stigma.
- Increase awareness of resources & supports.
- Build capacity to create a supportive and resilient school.
5-Step Process
To help guide students and staff in planning and implementing activities to help make their school a mentally healthy community, a 5-Step Process (PDF) has been developed.
Adapted and reproduced with permission of Public Health, Region of Peel.
You’re the Chef Program
You’re the Chef (YTC) is a 6-week food skills program that develops the skills and confidence of students in grades 5-8 in preparing tasty recipes emphasizing fruits and vegetables. YTC can be part of your Healthy Schools Approach or a stand-alone program. Public Health provides training once a year in the fall for school staff who are interested in running the program in their school. YTC grants to help cover the cost of food will be awarded to schools that have been trained and are interested in providing the program in their school.
WDG Public Health Grants
WDG Public Health School Grants are available to elementary and secondary schools interested in implementing one of the above three programs. Grants valued at $300 will help fund equipment, supplies and activity ideas associated with program implementation.
Apply for a Healthy School grant from Public Health to support your activities. (2024/2025 application coming soon)
To learn more about becoming a Healthy School and about our Healthy School Grants, contact Client and Community Support at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006 or email: clientcommunitysupport@wdgpublichealth.ca.