London, ON – For the next two days, more than 400 educators, health professionals, parents, students and community members from across Canada will learn what it takes to make healthy schools and healthy communities. Entitled Coming Together: Supporting the Whole Child, the National Healthy Schools Conference is being held today and tomorrow at London’s Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre. The Conference will focus on the links between mental, physical and emotional health as well as physical literacy, and the role they all play in developing and sustaining healthy school environments.

The Conference is hosted by the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition, a province-wide partnership which draws its members from public health units, school boards, hospitals, mental health agencies, universities and health-related organizations as well as parent and student organizations.

“When we talk about healthy schools, we mean places where the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the entire school community are nurtured and strengthened,” says Christine Preece, Co-Chair of the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition and Manager of the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s Young Adult Team. “It is in this kind of supportive environment in which students and families can learn, thrive and reach their full potential.”

The National Healthy Schools Conference includes keynote presentations from six leading speakers on important topics that influence the development and vitality of healthy school communities. Delegates will also be able to choose from more than 40 interactive workshops focusing on different aspects of healthy schools development and promotion.

Members of the public will also be able to attend two free evening sessions being presented as part of the Conference. On Wednesday, April 9th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Dr. Claire Crooks from Western University’s Faculty of Education will speak about the critical issues facing the development of safe school initiatives in Canada. On Thursday, April 10th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Dr. Dean Kriellaars, of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine will look at ways coaches, parents, community members and educators can help children and youth to become physically literate.

The Healthy Schools initiative is part of the Global School Health Initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many countries including Canada, the United States, Australia and several European countries have embraced the WHO’s comprehensive approaches to school-based health promotion.

Media contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 ext. 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)

Spokesperson:
Christine Preece, Co-Chair of the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition and Manager of the Young Adult Team at the Middlesex-London Health Unit