Frequently Asked Questions

Can any school register to take part in the Healthy Schools Recognition Program?  

All schools within Canada can participate in the Healthy Schools Recognition Program. This includes elementary and secondary schools belonging to Public and Catholic, English and Francophone School Boards, School Authorities and First Nations schools, and private and independent schools.  

What do I do if my School Board/District/Authority or school is not listed on the ‘Register for Program’ webform?  

If your School Board/District/Authority or school is not included in the drop-down lists to register your school, please contact us with your first and last name, province, school board/district/authority and school name. Please do not use abbreviations.   

How do I confirm that my school was successfully registered?  

Upon successful completion of the ‘Register for Program’ form, you will receive a notification on the webpage indicating that you have successfully completed step 1 of 2 of the registration process. Before beginning step 2 you will receive an email containing a one-time link that you must click on to set a password for the account you created in step 1. Upon setting your password you will be redirected to step 2 to complete an online webform where you will be required to add additional school information. Once you have successfully completed the webform, you will receive a final email confirming your successful registration in the program.  

Please ensure that you check your "Spam" or "Junk Email" folders. Contact us if you do not receive an email within 3 business days. 

Once I’m registered, how do I access the online dashboard?  

First, log in to your Healthy Schools Recognition Program account. Then, go to healthyschools.ca/dashboard. You must be signed into your Healthy Schools account to access your Dashboard. 

Can I add others to the online dashboard so that they have access to add things, too?  

Yes! The Healthy Schools Lead (typically the individual who registered the school) can add additional users. To add additional users to your Healthy Schools account, first start by navigating to your Dashboard. From there, you will see a yellow "Add Healthy Schools Team Members" button on the left side of your screen. Click that button and add additional contributors to your school’s Dashboard. Important: If you support multiple schools, please contact us for additional information!   

Please ensure that team members check their "Spam" or "Junk Email" folders. 

Does it cost any money to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program? 

The Healthy Schools Recognition Program is free to participate in.  

What’s the time commitment for the Healthy Schools Lead?  

The Healthy Schools Lead will be the key contact for Healthy Schools Recognition Program for the duration of the journey. There is no specific time commitment for each Healthy Schools Lead, but the expectation would be that they would use the School Dashboard to work with their team to lead activities and respond to the journal questions. The Healthy Schools Process is about collaboration, which means that even though the Healthy Schools Lead is the main link between us and their school, it doesn’t mean that they do all the work. Instead, Healthy Schools is about working with key members of the school and school community where students have a prominent role in contributing to the school's journey. This can also include key contributors like school staff, parents/caregivers, public health, and other community partners. 

Can I transfer the Healthy Schools Lead position to someone else?  

Yes! To initiate the Healthy Schools Lead change process, navigate to your School Dashboard and click on the yellow "Change Healthy Schools Lead" button. Complete the required fields on the online webform and the lead will be updated within 3 business days. 

What is the timeline for Healthy Schools? 

The Healthy Schools Recognition Program registration can occur at any point during the year. The program is based on the Healthy Schools Process that can be completed at your own pace, as needed and as identified by your Healthy Schools Team. The length of your journey will depend on your Healthy Schools activities and initiatives, the scope of the activities planned, and the goals related to your school’s priority area(s).  

Recognition is done through accessing digital badges and a Journey Summary Report that is available upon completion of the 4 Steps of the Healthy Schools Process and the submission of the Healthy Schools Process journal questions. There is no due date for program completion and journal submissions.  

Once you have completed your current Healthy Schools action plan, activities, and goals, you can celebrate and share the story of your journey and accomplishments. You can then initiate a new journey whenever your Healthy Schools Team is ready! This may take place on an annual basis over the school year if that’s what works best for your school community, or at more frequent or less frequent intervals. 

What happens if my school starts a journey but doesn’t finish it? 

Inactive journeys will be monitored. Email reminders will be sent to inactive accounts six months after registration and journeys will be deleted after 12 months of inactivity. An email notification will be sent to the Healthy Schools Team Lead before deleting the journey. If you wish to delete your journey and start a new journey before the 12-month mark, you can Contact Us! 

What additional support is available to registered schools?  

The Healthy Schools Recognition Program Team is available year-round by email as an additional support to schools: Contact Us.  

Does Healthy Schools Recognition Program provide funding to schools? 

No, Healthy Schools Recognition Program does not provide funding to schools during the 2025/26 school year. Local or regional grants may be available in your area to support the implementation of Healthy Schools. Consider exploring grant opportunities from the Ministry of Education for your province, corporations, municipalities, and/or organizations like ParticipACTION. Explore school fundraising opportunities as appropriate!  

How Can I Get Involved in Healthy Schools Recognition Program? 

School Staff: 

Educators, including teachers, administrators, and support staff, are the backbone of any school team. As staff of the school, they have a solid understanding of school and board/district/authority objectives, as well as an appreciation of the diversity of the students and school community. Educators are involved in all stages of the Healthy Schools Process. The more educators are able to contribute, the more your team will be able to accomplish, and the more students will want to be involved.  

The Healthy Schools Lead may be a staff member at the school who agrees to facilitate the team and act as the main contact for the Healthy Schools Recognition Program. The Healthy Schools Lead does not need to be an expert with the Healthy Schools Approach: in fact, they may be new to Healthy Schools and have an interest in promoting health and well-being in their school community.   

Administrators, including principals and vice-principals, are the “community builder(s) who create(s) a healthy and safe school environment that is welcoming to all, and who ensure(s) that all members of the school community are kept well informed.” (Ministry of Education, 2019).  For a school to be successful in the Healthy Schools Approach, it needs the support of the administration. 

Students:

Student involvement is a crucial part of the Healthy Schools Process. Students support change in their school communities through peer to-peer and student-to-teacher interactions, storytelling, and peer influence on those around them to make healthy choices for themselves, their families and the school community (Neely et al., 2020). All students bring unique experiences, strengths, skills and knowledge into the school community. Students can contribute to a healthy school by identifying what matters to them, what Healthy Schools activities and initiatives would interest them, and contributing to or leading activities. Students may take on more of a leadership role, planning and running activities and engaging community partners, and/or co-leading the Healthy Schools Team. If you are a student who wants your school to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program, talk to a staff member at your school, or a parent/caregiver/family member! 

Parent(s)/caregiver(s): 

Parents, guardians, caregivers, and family members have a lot to offer a healthy school. Family engagement in the school team can ensure that the activities reflect the community and that the health and well-being promoted in schools is reinforced in the home. Families may also have their own assets to share, such as time, skills, or volunteer connections.  

If you are a parent or family member who wants your child’s school to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program, talk to your child’s teacher or a staff member at your school!   

Local health partners: 

Health partners and providers in your local community are important to engage with during your Healthy Schools journey (e.g., local health authorities, public health teams). Many publicly funded schools in Canada are supported by local public health teams that often play a key role in supporting school communities in adopting the Healthy Schools Process. Public health services and programs address a variety of health topics and promote the health and well-being of children and youth, and the school community.  

If you are a local health partner/provider (e.g., health authority or public health staff member) and would like your local school to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program, talk to the school’s administration or a staff member!  

If you want to support multiple schools, please contact us us for additional information! 

Community partners: 

Community partners play an important role in supporting Healthy Schools initiatives by providing their services, resources, and expertise as schools plan activities. Community partners include local businesses, not-for-profit organizations, feeder and neighbouring schools, recreation and sports groups, community safety services, community health centres, and municipalities. If you are a community partner who wants your local school to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program, talk to the school’s administration or a staff member! 

Elders/Knowledge Keepers:

Elders and knowledge keepers can support Healthy Schools initiatives by sharing their wisdom, cultural teachings, and traditional knowledge as schools plan activities. Elders and knowledge keepers bring invaluable perspectives and teachings that enrich school communities. Their guidance helps create culturally responsive and meaningful health and wellness programming that honors Indigenous ways of knowing and community traditions.  

If you are an elder or knowledge keeper who wants your local school to participate in Healthy Schools Recognition Program, talk to the school's administration or a staff member! Similarly, schools are encouraged to reach out to elders and knowledge keepers in their community to invite their participation and guidance.