Do you have an original innovative idea to encourage students in your class to eat well? Then apply for the Teach Nutrition Award!
Up to 100 awards of $100 each will be presented to select kindergarten to grade 8 teachers in Ontario, in recognition of their creative ideas for teaching nutrition.
Research on children's eating habits in Canada shows that they are not eating enough vegetables and fruit or getting enough milk and alternatives for good health. * Nutrition initiatives in your classroom can raise your students' awareness of the contribution healthy eating makes to their overall health and can help them develop skills to eat well.
This award is linked with Dietitians of Canada's annual Nutrition Month® theme. This year's theme is "Get the Real Deal on your Meal" and your ideas should focus on this theme.
Some examples of myth-busting themes that relate to "Get the Real Deal on your Meal" might be:
Myth: I can eat the same thing everyday!
Fact: You need to eat foods from all four food groups so your body gets the different nutrients it needs to grow and play!
Myth: You shouldn't drink chocolate milk.
Fact: Chocolate milk is a very nutritious choice of beverage. It provides lots of bone-building nutrients and tastes good too!
Nutrition Month® is a great time to carry out special activities, in addition to your usual curriculum, to provide students with knowledge and practical ideas to eat well and live well. For more information on this theme visit the Dietitians of Canada website at:
http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/Nutrition-Month-2012.aspx
Criteria for the award:
For submitted ideas to be considered for this award they must:
- Be ORIGINAL and CREATIVE!
- Encourage students to make healthy food and drink choices, particularly in the Vegetables and Fruit and/or Milk and Alternatives food groups.
- Link with the Ontario curriculum
- NOT be a regular breakfast, snack or lunch program
**BONUS If your idea also highlights the Nutrition Month® theme, Get the Real Deal on Your Meal, you could be a Top Winner and have your idea featured on this web site!
To submit an application for the award:
Click here to apply online or download the application form and mail or fax it to:
Teach Nutrition Awards
Dairy Farmers of Canada
6780 Campobello Road
Mississauga, ON
L5N 2L8
Fax: (905) 821-0585
When is the deadline?
Applications must be received by January 27, 2012. Winners will be announced February 27, 2012.
Who will judge the applications?
Registered Dietitians from Dairy Farmers of Canada and Dietitians of Canada, as well as representatives from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, will judge the applications.
For more information:
Contact Amy Skeoch
For information on winning ideas from last year visit the Innovative ideas page.
Don't delay - all applications received by the deadline will get a prize just for entering!
*Garriguet D. 2004. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey (Cycle 2.2). Overview of Canadians Eating Habits. Statistics Canada.