November 8, 2005 Source: University of New Brunswick - Saint John:
http://www.unb.ca/news/view.cgi?id=904 CRISP Hosting Critical Healthy Schools Conference November 8, 2005
UNB Fredericton News Release: D522
Brad Janes, Public Relations Officer (506) 458-7969 Healthy schools can influence a nation’s lifestyle. Researchers agree schools can indeed play a critical role in the health of students, but there is little agreement about exactly what schools can or should be doing to promote healthy lifestyles. Those research findings and future initiatives highlight a Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP) presentation called Healthy Schools, an innovative conference dedicated to improving the physical and emotional health of our children. The conference is scheduled from Nov. 27 to 29 at the Delta Fredericton Hotel. CRISP is a multi-disciplinary research organization dedicated to policy research aimed at improving the education and care of Canadian children and youth, is based at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The conference will provide information and strategies for creating and sustaining healthy schools across the country. School administrators, school and district council members, teachers, parents, health promotion professionals, school health nurses, policy makers and academic researchers are encouraged to attend the conference. "Those attending will come away with an idea of where they are and where they want to go with respect to healthy schools in their communities," said Douglas Willms, the CRISP director. "In their most basic form, healthy schools promote the health and well-being of their students by providing physical activity programs and nutritious food choices. Fostering strong relationships and greater communication with families and communities only contributes to the development of a safe, caring and inclusive school culture. The entire conference is a dynamic and innovative event." The keynote speaker for the conference is Marc Kielburger. Recently named one of Canada’s top 40 leaders under the age of 40, Mr. Kielburger is the co-founder of Leaders Today designed to provide leadership training to over 200,000 young people with aspirations of becoming socially involved. He is the executive director of Free the Children, the largest network of children helping children in the world. He was a 2003 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He will deliver the keynote address on Nov. 28 at 7:45 p.m. at the Delta Fredericton. Other scheduled featured speakers at the conference include Joyce Epstein, a principal research scientist and professor of sociology at John Hopkins University in Syracuse, NY; Kenneth Leithwood, a professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Toronto; William Potts-Datema, the director of Partnerships for Children’s Health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and Terrance Scott, a special education expert at the University of Florida. UNBF will be well represented with Dr. Willms joining CRISP’s program manager Terry Kelly and research associate Joan Beswick. Further information is available by viewing www.unb.ca/crisp or contacting CRISP at 506-447-3178. - 30 -
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