Iqaluit (May 15/06) - For the last three years, students in Nunavut have been learning to Drop the Pop. Now, the popular program has outgrown Nunavut and is expanding into the NWT and Yukon.

Contest at a glance Quqshuun Elementary school in Gjoa Haven won the prize for "Best School - Overall Participation and Effort". They won free healthy drinks for the entire school, for an entire week. Here is what they did to "Drop the Pop," day by day: Day 1: Introduction to the "Drop the Pop - Move To The Beat" program in every classroom. Day 2: Health Centre officials came to the school to tell about the dangers of too much sugar. Day 3: School divides into their spirit groups -- teams made up of youth from each grade -- to design a large poster. The winning group received $50 to spend on a healthy party. Day 4: Each student makes their own poster, and the best poster maker in each class received a $20 gift certificate to the Northern Store. Day 5: Students travel from classroom to classroom, with a different physical activity in each one. - Source: Quqshuun Elementary School Best school: Quqshuun elementary school, Gjoa Haven Grand Prize (random draw): Tusarvik school, Repulse Bay. Prize: $350 Participation prizes: Qiqirtaq Ilihakvik high school, Gjoa Haven; Ecole des Trois Soleil, Iqaluit; Aqsarniit middle school, Iqaluit, Qarmartalik school, Resolute. Prize: electric toothbrush set.: What is in your pop: Caffeine: 28 to 64 mg per 355ml can. For comparison, a cup of coffee has between 72 to 144 mg per cup. - Source: Canada Food Guide

In Nunavut, 2,100 students from 37 schools joined in, and the program had a new twist this year.

Previously, "Drop the Pop" was about eating less sugar and generating awareness about the ill effects of sweets. Now organizers with the Department of Health have added "Move to the Beat," encouraging a healthier lifestyle. It all ties together, according to Melissa Guyot, the aboriginal diabetes and pre-natal co-ordinator for Nunavut. The first reason for bringing in the physical activity was practical, she said.

"We have one of the lowest diabetes rates in Canada. Hopefully, this can help keep it that way," said Guyot.

Qiqirtaq Ilhakvik high school in Gjoa Haven got its students to move their feet.

"We went out and we did a day camp," explained teacher Lee Bird.

"We purchased some nutritious snacks, we played some Inuit games and did some fishing at Swan Lake."

They were able to purchase the healthy beverages as a part of the program. Each school that joins up gets $350 in gift certificates, which can be claimed at the Northern store or local Co-op.

"We did promotion. There were people on the local radio. We kept track of how much sugar we had. It was all about participation," said Bird.

After three years, the message is starting to get through to Bird's students.

"I think it is catching on. In our school, we don't sell pop," said Bird.

Marie Premi, a teacher at the Tusarvik School in Repulse Bay, said her school won the random draw for the grand prize, $350 for the school. They plan to use it for gym equipment, keeping in line with the "Move to the Beat" theme.

"We had an entire day of physical activity, where the kid were put into teams. We had oranges and orange juice for snacks," said Premi.

The kids in Repulse combined some education with their fun. It was science fair week, and the "Drop the Pop" theme came up.

"We had some kids put some chicken bones in a can of pop and they watched them rot," said Premi.

It all comes down to how much the kids take away with them, one week doesn't make a difference without a follow-up.

Dorianna Malliki, 11, tried to drop the pop in Repulse Bay. "I learned about pop, you can get diabetes and you can die," said the Grade 5 student.

She enjoys apple juice, but does admit, "sometimes, I get pop."

"I learned about health and healthy snacks. I brush my teeth every morning and every night, so I have good teeth," said Malliki.

She had a cavity when she was younger, but when her baby teeth fell out, so did the cavity. "I've got better teeth now," said a proud Malliki.