Active Living
Active School Travel: Tools for Change
Why should school communities promote active transportation modes for school travel? Some data to consider: According to the baseline Family Travel Survey collected by Ever Active Schools between 2019 and 2024 in Alberta, 32.8% of families (n=6190 responses) use active modes of transportation most often for trips to school, while 36.7% of families (n=6403 responses)…
Read MoreEarth Day: A Time to Reflect; A Time to Act
Written by Tracey Coutts, Ever Active Schools Welcome Earth Day! “Earth Day is an annual celebration that…raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations.” (National Geographic, Education: Earth Day, 2024). The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970; today, Earth Day is celebrated on either April 22 or…
Read MoreThe 2024 Winter Cycling Congress: What a Ride!
Written by: Tracey Coutts and Katie Mahon, Ever Active Schools Has this ever happened to you… You invite people to your favourite place, maybe it’s a pizza parlour, a place known for its delicious pizza but, just as your guests start to pour through the door, the parlour runs out of cheese. Like, completely.…
Read MoreWHAT DO YOU GET WHEN AN ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL CHAMPION FACES CHALLENGES? REALLY GREAT SOLUTIONS.
Writers: Trevor Henderson, Black Gold School Division Wellness Lead, with support from Tracey Coutts and Shauna Miller-Shaker Ever Active School supports many Active School Travel (AST) projects across the province which boast some pretty amazing outcomes, one of which continues to shine in Leduc, Alberta. In 2020/2021, Black Gold School Division Wellness Lead, Trevor…
Read MoreWINTER CYCLING IN ALBERTA
Winter cycling may seem exotic and strange, but if you’ve ever biked in the warmer weather, or cross-country skied, snowshoed, or even walked outside in the winter, you’re 89.6% prepared to ride your bike in winter! How so, you might ask? Well: You already own the clothing. You know how to dress in layers so you…
Read MorePHYS ED AND WELLNESS LESSON PLANS
Ahh, lesson planning: an all-important yet thankless task for teachers. You spend hours pouring over activities, making sure they connect to the curriculum and your targeted outcomes, and you hope your whole class will be invested and enjoy them. Wouldn’t it be nice if, once in a while, you could take all the time and…
Read MoreBUILDING THE LEDUC ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CHARTER
The municipality of Leduc, Alta., has laid much groundwork to make it an active living superstar. From its 85 km+ of multi-use pathways, to Telford Lake, to its Parks, Open Spaces, and Trails Master Plan – when it comes to active living, Leduc has some good bones. It is clear that Leduc prioritizes wellness, but…
Read MoreGRANTING PERMISSION TO TRY WITH CYCLING
Written by Tracey Coutts, Ever Active Schools Watching young cyclists discover the freedom and thrill that comes with learning how to confidently navigate new neighbourhood and community routes is the equivalent of reading about C. S. Lewis’ Lucy moving deeper into the wardrobe, brushing past fur coats that transform to fir tree branches, on her…
Read MoreEVERYBODY PLAYS: LEAGUES OF PLAY
In the 2022/2023 school year, Ever Active Schools and Canadian Tire Jumpstart entered into a multi-year partnership centered around the dream that everybody plays. Through this work, we are providing: 100% opportunity to participate so that everybody plays. Focus on priority populations so that everybody plays. Capacity building through grassroots approaches so that everybody plays.…
Read MoreTEACHING THE NEW ALBERTA K-6 CURRICULUM
The new Alberta K-6 curriculum has certainly been a hot topic, and we’ve heard a lot of questions about the Physical Education and Wellness (PEW) section. The biggest question: how do I teach this Alberta K-6 curriculum without losing active time with my class? Never fear: Ever Active Schools is here! We’ve compiled 8 games…
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