Comprehensive School Health

Promoting Health and Wellness Education through Community Gardens

Contributed by Hunter Kelly (Teacher Candidate)

The Greener Village Community Food Center, formerly known as the Fredericton Food Bank has grown to become so much more than a food bank. They operate as not only a food bank, but also a clothing boutique, teaching kitchen, community garden, and a life skills development center. Their goal as an organization is to help the people of Fredericton become self-sustaining. Instead of simply providing food for those in need, they are teaching the community how to grow their own food, as well as how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Community Gardens: Growing an Educational Community

Contributed by Heather Woods (Fall 2015)

Last week, I had to opportunity to attend a workshop on “How to Start a Community Garden” with Jordan Bouchard from Just Food (Twitter: @bouch137). The hour was packed full of information, from how a community garden may contribute to comprehensive school health and how to start thinking about and planning a community garden within your school or community. Jordan demonstrated how community gardening satisfies all the pillars of Comprehensive School Health.

This year, the CSH cohort came together to create an end of the year award. We call it the “CSH Student of the Year Award”. This special recognition goes out to a Champ who shows leadership, dedication and care for the well-being and success of the Comprehensive School Health Cohort. The first award went to Dani Luther!

As a part of our learning processes course, we were asked to take on a meaningful learning experience (MLE) and presentations were made in the final weeks of class. Everyone’s presentations were incredibly well done and extremely moving. From learning to play to knit to signing in front of people for the first time, the CSH cohort showed up to impress. Each individual shone in a rather incredibly way as they walked us through why they chose their particular learning experience, some challenges, some triumphs and a link to future teaching. Two amazing individuals have agreed to share their meaningful learning experiences. Please see the Student Blog section under CSH COHORT IN B.ED for Lindsey and Stephanie’s MLE’s! Check them out, you won’t be sorry!! We challenge you to become a fellow Champ (Champion of Health) and learn something meaningful!

Congrats to the CSH Cohort 2015!

By: Dani Luther

Over the course of the year, this fantastic group of individuals has worked incredibly hard at promoting comprehensive school health. With the amazing success that the student-led workshops, members went above and beyond what was asked of them and branched out into the community. Some participated in a day of instructing African Dance; another group worked weekly to practice mindfulness in schools; and, we have all taken the time to implement as many elements of Comprehensive School Health that we could in our placements. Special mention must go out to all of those who held workshops: not only is this not a requirement, but it also an arduous task, especially in an eight-month condensed program. Way to go team! To round out the year, the cohort came together to write a simple children’s book representing all elements of Comprehensive School Health. We called it, The ABC’s of Health and we are very pleased to present the pdf version in the link below.

What Does Comprehensive School Health Mean to the 2015 CSH Cohort?