(YELLOWKNIFE, July 31, 2018) – Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services, announced the 14 schools chosen to receive awards as part of the 2017-2018 Drop the Pop campaign.
This year, 48 schools in the Northwest Territories participated in “Drop the Pop,” using funding provided by the Government of the Northwest Territories to promote healthy food and beverage choices. The winning schools will be awarded prizes ranging from $800 – $1,500 in recognition of their Drop the Pop activities.
The Drop the Pop campaign creates opportunities for healthy lifestyles and community leadership for our youth and is a priority of the 18th Legislative Assembly.
Quote:
“Congratulations to the winners and all 48 participating schools of this year’s “Drop the Pop” campaign. Choosing healthy drinks makes a difference to the overall health of children and youth. The creative work that students and schools have done to promote healthier choices is helping us build healthier communities.”
-Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services
Quick Facts
- Drop the Pop is an annual campaign that encourages students, families, schools and communities to:
- drink healthy beverages, especially water;
- eat a wide variety of healthy, local foods from the land;
- learn new skills and knowledge in order to be more self-sufficient, and;
- Foster long-term health food and beverage intakes so families can maintain and/or improve their overall well-being.
- This is the 12th year for the Drop the Pop campaign.
- Sugary drinks contribute to obesity-related chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
Snapshots of school projects
- Older students of École Allain St-Cyr in Yellowknife worked with the younger students by having them create TV commercial video clips that encouraged the younger students to adopt good lifestyle habits such as eating well, playing sports and drinking plenty of water.
- The Young Offenders Facility students worked together to create a Wild Game cookbook, learned about grocery list preparation, completed Healthy Items worksheets and learned about the sugar content of common everyday foods and beverages. Local Elders and hunters also came to give presentations.
- Charles Yohin School students in Nahanni Butte created a “sugar belly” that represented the average amount of sugar consumed per year, which was a big hit amongst community members.
Related Links
Media inquiries for Department:
Damien Healy
Manager, Communications
Department of Health and Social Services
Tel: 867-767-9052 ext. 49034
Email: damien_healy@gov.nt.ca