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Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross and Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson today unveiled a new youth-helping-youth healthy-living project for 20 Manitoba schools, part of a $310,000 provincial commitment for three new initiatives to ensure more Manitobans have the opportunity to build healthy living into their daily lives.
 
“Our goal is to create healthy-living opportunities that are meaningful to every Manitoban, of every age, in every community,” said Irvin-Ross. “These projects will help more Manitobans connect with useful information and supports for healthy living so that our province is a place where the healthy choice is an easy choice.”
 
Over $260,000 is being invested in a two-year pilot project called Healthy Buddies.  Twenty Manitoba schools will pair younger students with an older buddy to encourage physical activity, good nutrition and positive self-image. The program has been widely lauded for its success since it began in British Columbia.
 
“By pairing students with healthy role models in classroom activities, physical activity and peer learning, they will learn to make healthier choices that will help them to lead healthier lives,” said Bjornson. “From expanding phys ed to improving nutrition and banning smoking, this government is fulfilling its commitment to providing healthy schools for Manitobans.”
 
“The students and staff at Victory School are pleased to be part of the Healthy Buddies pilot project and we’re looking forward to an exciting year,” said Eunice Pratt, principal of the participating school in the Seven Oaks School Division.  “Healthy Buddies will be a great fit with many other school programs that focus on health and wellness.”
 
The ministers also announced today a contribution of $30,000 toward an Aboriginal Youth Healthy Living Mentorship Program at the University of Manitoba, which connects university students and high‑school youth to design and deliver a weekly after-school program for early years students. Each week, the program focuses on good nutrition, physical activity, educational activities and building relationships.
 
“This program is community-based and created with an Aboriginal perspective, to support these students as they develop leadership skills and share their knowledge with younger children,” said Joannie Halas, professor in the university’s faculty of kinesiology and recreation management. “By funding Aboriginal youth mentorship programs, the province is also investing in the energy and talent of our young Aboriginal leaders as they help build healthy, active communities.”
 
Irvin-Ross noted that Manitoba is also gathering important research that will guide the development of healthy-living programs and policies that are meaningful and effective for refugees and new immigrants. 
 
The minister said a provincial investment of $20,000 in new research will provide the government with direction on information newcomers may need about healthy living, barriers to physical activity and healthy nutrition, culturally-sensitive best practices that can reach inactive people, whether different cultural groups need different healthy living programs and how best to work with newcomer communities and other stakeholders.