Getting children more active and making healthy lifestyle choices is Sport Hawke’s Bay’s new Healthy Active Learning team’s big drive for 2022.

Healthy Active Learning is a joint government initiative between Sport New Zealand and the Ministries of Health and Education and is driven by the Government's $47m commitment to the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.

Sport Hawke’s Bay is leading the local delivery of the new initiative and Sport Hawke’s Bay’s General Manager, Sue Smith said over $1.6 million has been allocated over the next three and a half years.

“We want to co-design a plan with each school or kura using a localised curriculum to improve and strengthen tamariki wellbeing.”

“We also envisage higher level conversations around Wellbeing as part of a kahui approach further down the track” Smith says.

Sport Hawke’s Bay will partner with approximately 40 selected schools across the region from Wairoa through to Central Hawke’s Bay and has created new Active Healthy Living adviser roles to support schools.

The aim is to get more tamariki enjoying quality physical activity.

Success will be measured on schools and kura understanding and recognising the value of health and physical activity; promoting a healthy food and drink environment; teachers confidently delivering hauora and physical education curriculum, and better connecting to the wider community, including whānau and local health and physical activity providers.

The Healthy Active Learning team will work with Boards of Trustees, principals, senior leaders and teachers of primary and intermediate schools and kura to provide advice and customised support around the overall health and wellbeing of their students.

Sally McKenzie, Sport Hawke’s Bay Lead Advisor says “I have been a part of the team at Sport Hawke’s Bay for 8 years now and this new initiative really excites me”

“We have already onboarded 30 schools including 3 kura who are exploring Tapuwaekura and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. At the core of our work, we are wanting to offer a skilled workforce who will collaboratively support schools and kura to create healthy and active learning environments, and better connection to communities”

New Advisor, Stevie-Jean Nicholson, a former secondary school Health & PE Teacher, said it was exciting to be given an opportunity to make a positive influence on younger students.

“We know that habits can form at a young age. We have the opportunity to positively influence primary school students to begin their active health wellbeing journey at this critical stage of their lives.”

“Our role is to take a holistic approach that makes it enjoyable for the children. We want to the support Principals and teachers, all of whom are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of their students.”

Fellow Advisor Zoe Clinnick, who was previously a primary school teacher at Ebbett Park School is also looking forward to working with schools across the region.

“I can’t wait to make a positive impact on our young tamariki. We know that an initiative such as this is much needed, especially now due to the ongoing impact Covid continues to have on our young people’s lives, because of this we are seeing more children struggling with anxiety as an example.”

“We will be creating opportunities where children get to build their confidence and succeed, so they choose to participate and build their skills. We want to have more tamariki participating in play, active recreation and sport as a result of the support we can provide”

“A large part of the mahi that we will do will focus on confidence and capability in the Health and Physical Education space, but we will also support connections with whānau and the community. We want to support and improve the confidence and capability amongst teacher workforce while creating an environment and culture that promotes wellbeing” Clinnick added.

For more information, please contact the Healthy Active Learning team at Sport Hawke’s Bay