News & Results
Healthy Active Learning initiative expands to 80 schools
Sport Bay of Plenty’s work in improving child and youth wellbeing through healthy nutrition and physical activity is continuing to thrive through expansion of the Healthy Active Learning model.
Even more tamariki across the rohe are now benefiting from the initiative with 50 education institutions from across Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty joining those already established across the Central Bay of Plenty, taking the region’s overall total to 80.
“With work now ongoing in 80 schools across our rohe Sport Bay of Plenty has one of the largest regional percentages of schools involved across the country,” says Sport Bay of Plenty CEO Heidi Lichtwark.
“We are thankful for all those who help support Healthy Active Learning in the Bay of Plenty including Sport NZ, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and TECT, who committed to a $365k investment last September.”
Healthy Active Learning is a joint initiative from Sport New Zealand, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
The strategy is part of a $47.6 million government investment from the 2019 Wellbeing Budget and is part of the government's Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.
Sport Bay of Plenty is working collaboratively alongside Toi Te Ora Public Health to help education providers develop and provide access to engaging physical activity opportunities and healthy food and drink environments.
“One of our strategic impact goals is to influence the system to improve access to physical activity for our tamariki,” explains Lichtwark.
“Alongside our relationship with schools, Healthy Active Learning is the key method with which we achieve this.”
Healthy Active Learning has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2020, recently hitting its target of extending into 800 schools and kura across Aotearoa New Zealand – equating to 40 per cent of providers nationwide.
The first phase of the initiative in the Bay of Plenty was rolled out across 30 schools and kuras in Central Bay of Plenty before extending to 80 this year via the expansion into Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty
Highlights of the Healthy Active Learning rollout across the extended rohe this year include a recent Hauora Day of Learning for 60 teachers and Kaiako across 31 different institutions in the Western Bay of Plenty. In the Eastern Bay, over a hundred tamariki from eight kura recently engaged in a day of whakawhanaugatanga involving forms of physical activity from outside the school’s regular programme, including jiu jitsu and yoga.
“Kaiako feedback from the Day of Learning event was that they hugely valued the opportunity for new learning and connection,” says Healthy Active Learning Project Lead Meg Fisher.
“Meanwhile, in the Eastern Bay, it was by all accounts a super fun day with huge engagement from all tamariki.
“It is opportunities like this that see our Kaiako and tamariki feel supported in growing their confidence, while coming together in celebration of the mahi that has been happening in the region.”
The impact of Healthy Active Learning across the country has been demonstrated in Sport NZ’s most recent Evaluation Summary. Findings show teachers in schools who adopted Healthy Active Learning in 2020 agree there have been positive changes in culture, process, practice and activity opportunities in comparison to those who have only recently adopted the initiative.
“The difference between control schools and Healthy Active Learning schools is consistent across the board and schools which started in 2020 have significantly higher satisfaction rates among teachers than those started in 2022,” says Lichtwark.
“Positive impacts are being seen in improving the wellbeing of tamariki and their communities, across Aotearoa New Zealand. We are pleased to be part of what could be a long-lasting impact leading to a lifetime of healthy choices.”
