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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Programs supporting healthy, active lifestyles received a boost in funding this year, as the Government of Northwest Territories injected $615,000 into 40 schools throughout the territory.

Grade 5/6 teacher Ryan Nichols, along with Mia Harris, left, and Danya Elkhidir, showed off some new skis at Mildred Hall School. The school received a grant of $13,750 in 2011 from the NWT Sport and Recreation Council to purchase 35 sets of skis and 25 sets of snowshoes for its Active After-School Fund. - NNSL file photo

The Active After School Program is a government initiative – in its third year -- designed to help combat obesity and promote programs in schools that provide physical activity to school-aged youth.

The $615,000 was divided between 40 schools, each receiving between $10,000 and $30,000 -- depending on their specific needs.

"We're targeting physical activity programs in the after school time period and there's a reason for that," said Ian Legaree, director of municipal and community affairs, sport, recreation and youth. "We need to get kids more physically active ... the statistics show that if kids are going to get into trouble it's usually after school before their parents get home. So it's a double whammy. If you get them busy, you get them more physically active, you keep them out of trouble."

In order to receive the funding, all programming had to fit into criteria that included: participants needed to be active a minimum of 40 out of every 60 minutes, the program had to target inactive or under-active youth, activities had to take place between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., did not discriminate between the participants' level of skill and promoted leadership opportunities for participants.

Schools taking advantage of the funding have initiated their own unique style of after school programming.

"In Norman Wells there's a traditional skills club they do shelter building, animal tracking and survival skills," said Legaree. In Trout Lake they do snowshoeing and archery, and in Dettah they also have a snowshoeing and skiing program."

The traditional skills club at the Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells is one of beneficiaries of this year's funding announcement. One organizer of the program said he is happy to see the dollars roll in.

"It's great," said Eric Koopman, Grade 5/6 teacher. "It can be a lot of work on the part of the volunteers to scrape together the resources so the funding allows me to make purchases and when community members and kids attend all the supplies are there and it's great."

The program reconnects students to the land, teaching valuable survival and traditional skills.

"Its design is to give community members a chance to share some skills that involve hands-on activities that are linked to the heritage and area," said Koopman. "Things like traditional skills, tanning hides, traditional weaving activities, carving and going outside on the land and building survival skills."

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