Manitoba announces more than $120,000 for environmental health projects is schools

News release from the Government of Manitoba:

November 3, 2008 – Schools across
the province will offer activities for students to highlight links between the
environment and health with a new provincial investment of more than $120,000,
Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced today.

“From learning
about reducing greenhouse gas emissions to conserving water, schools are
helping our kids better understand how environmental issues relate to our
individual health,” Irvin-Ross said.  “We’re proud to provide new support
to schools to help Manitoba students become more environmentally aware.”

There are two
different grants available to schools to encourage a better understanding of
the environment and how it affects human health, the minister noted.

“By making
physical education a part of the high-school curriculum, schools and school
divisions adopting smoking ban policies on all school property and banning
trans fats in schools, we’re creating opportunities for students to make
healthy choices that will serve them throughout their lives,” said Education,
Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson.  “Now we’re strengthening
our commitment to healthy schools by encouraging students to explore
relationship between the environment and their health.”

Through the
province’s Healthy Schools initiative, participating schools will receive $100
plus
35 cents per student to provide activities that promote awareness about the
environment and how it can affect people’s heath.  

Activities can
touch on a wide range of environmental issues and could include such events as:

• organizing a bike safety course to help kids understand
  sustainable transportation options;
• encouraging litterless lunches to promote waste reduction; and
• planning environmental awareness campaigns to help educate
  parents, businesses and the community about environmental issues.

Applications
are available online at: www.gov.mb.ca/healthyschools/campaigns/envirohealth.html

The deadline to
apply is Nov. 14.

Healthy Schools
is a partnership between Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, Manitoba Education
Citizenship and Youth and Healthy Child Manitoba.  Since 2002, Healthy
Schools has initiated 10 campaigns with topics such as nutrition, safety, physical activity and
mental health.

With each
campaign, schools have an opportunity to highlight the importance and increase
awareness of various health topics.  More than 64 per cent of Manitoba
schools participated in the previous Healthy Schools campaign, which focused on
healthy relationships.

The ministers
noted that an additional 15 grants of up to $2,000 each are available to
schools through the Education for Sustainable Development grants initiative.
 Deadline for applications is Feb. 13.
 More information about Education for Sustainable Development initiatives
in Manitoba and application forms are available online at www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/esd.

The Education
for Sustainable Development grants are provided as a result of an ongoing
partnership between the provincial government and Manitoba Hydro.  Since
the grants were first awarded in 2006, a total of 33 projects have been funded.

Manitoba
Education, Citizenship and Youth also distributes Education for Sustainable
Development grants to school divisions.  Divisions receive $700 per school
to support their efforts to enhance the teaching and learning of sustainable
development principles and practices in schools.