Healthy Schools Program

To get started, talk to your school administration about becoming a healthy school. You can call Access York 1-877-464-9675, TTY: 1-866-512-6228 to connect with your school’s Public Health Nurse who can guide you through the necessary steps.

Step 1: Form a Healthy Schools Committee

Identify an existing committee or form a new one made up of parents, students and staff who can meet regularly.

Step 2: Identify strengths and needs

Survey your school to identify your school’s strengths and needs. Based on the survey results, identify the priority health topic. Please see the Healthy Schools Committee Member Handbook for sample needs assessment surveys.

Step 3: Develop and carry out an action plan

Develop an action plan to address your chosen health topic. The plan will outline the activities to be implemented in the school. To maximize your success, engage students throughout the entire process.

Address all five Foundations for a Healthy School to ensure your school is covering your priority health topic comprehensively.

1. Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning
2. School and classroom leadership
3. Social and physical environments
4. Student Engagement
5. Home, school and community partnerships

Step 4: Evaluate and celebrate achievements

Review, evaluate and celebrate your healthy school activities and successes.

Note: Communication with the whole school community is necessary throughout all four steps. Please consult the Healthy Schools Committee Member Handbook for sample communication strategies and tools.

York Region is committed to helping schools promote youth engagement, resiliency and developmental assets. All publicly funded schools in York Region are eligible to apply for a health promotion grant at the beginning of the school year. The grant supports student-led healthy schools initiatives that use a comprehensive approach. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact [email protected].

To receive an Action Plan template or if you are looking for additional ideas to comprehensively address health at your school, please contact your York Region Public Health Nurse or call Access York 1-877-464-9675, TTY: 1-866-512-6228.

• Healthy Schools Committee Member Handbook
  The purpose of the Healthy Schools Committee Member Handbook is to assist schools in creating a healthy school environment by providing strategies, tips and tools that focus on a comprehensive approach to school health. The Healthy Schools Committee Member Handbook will guide you through the four-step process to help you along your Healthy Schools journey.
• Healthy Schools Postcard
  The Healthy Schools Postcard promotes the Healthy Schools Program in Elementary and Secondary Schools. It provides the benefits of becoming a healthy school and outlines how York Region Public Health can support your school in your Healthy Schools journey.
• Healthy Start to School brochure
  The Healthy Start to School Brochure provides ideas to make starting school healthy and rewarding.
  The Healthy Start to School brochure is also available in the following languages
  • Cantonese
  • Farsi
  • French
  • Mandarin

York Region provides schools with up-to-date information on a variety of health topics. Each month, schools have the option to choose one or more inserts to place in their school newsletter or on their website. A school can choose an insert by the topic that matches their priority health topic.

Elementary

• Dental
• Healthy Schools
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Injury Prevention
• Mental Health
• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• PLAY
• Tobacco and Vaping
• Vision Screening

Secondary

• Dental
• Healthy Schools
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Injury Prevention
• Mental Health
• Physical Activity
• Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction
• Tobacco and Vaping

Curriculum Support Health Resources are available to elementary and secondary schools to help enhance and supplement current programs on a variety of health topics. The following resources can assist teachers and staff by directing and guiding them to available resources. Key resources have been collected, organized and formatted to be accessible and user-friendly for staff.

Elementary

• Injury Prevention
• Nutrition
• Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction
• Tobacco and Vaping

Secondary

• Injury Prevention
• Nutrition
• Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction
• Tobacco and Vaping

For additional school resources on a variety of health topics, please visit Healthy Schools Resources

The goal of the Healthy School Student Club is to provide student engagement and leadership opportunities, and to give students experiences that will foster their development and build their resiliency. Student engagement is a planned process that prepares youth for the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

Healthy School Student Clubs enable students to participate in ways that best meet their specific developmental needs while helping them reach their full potential. The leadership skills students acquire now will help them make healthier decisions throughout their lives.

Healthy School Student Club (HSSC) members work closely with the Healthy School Committee and/or School Champion to plan and lead activities to promote a healthy school environment. Club members work together to make important differences in their school, with the goal of helping their school be a healthy place to learn and work!

Students will learn how to:

1. Become a leader and play an active role in their school community
2. Engage in discussions with other students to identify health topic(s) for a Healthy Schools Action Plan
3. Brainstorm ways to address priority health topics that are important and meaningful to the students in the school
4. Collaborate on implementing fun and healthy school activities 
5. Work with the Healthy Schools Committee and Club Leader to create a school environment in which every student and staff feels like they belong

Contact your school’s Public Health Nurse or call Access York at 1-877-464-9675, TTY 1-866-512-6228 if you are interested in learning more about starting a Healthy School Student Club.

We would like to congratulate and acknowledge the York Region schools participating in the Healthy Schools Program. Thank you for all you do to promote health and well-being in your school communities!

• 2024-2025 Healthy Schools Hall of Fame
• 2023-2024 Healthy Schools Hall of Fame
• 2022-2023 Healthy Schools Hall of Fame