Healthy Active Learning

Supporting schools, kura and early learning services to improve child and youth wellbeing through healthy eating and quality physical activity.

Healthy Active Learning is a new $47.6 million initiative that will be delivered as part of the Government’s 2019 Wellbeing Budget.

Healthy Active Learning is a voluntary initiative, at no cost to schools, kura and early learning services. It contributes to one of the Government’s key priorities – improving the wellbeing of children and young people – and is part of the Government’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.

Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy – Child and Youth Wellbeing(external link) 

Sport New Zealand will partner with six regional sports trusts in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Northland and Wellington to deliver the active schools’ and kura component for the initial roll out in 2020-2022.

A Physical Activity Workforce will work with approximately 300 primary schools, intermediate schools and kura in these regions in the first three years, before engaging with a further 500 from 2022-2024. The focus will be on deciles one to four.

Sport New Zealand(external link)

The initiative started in January 2020, and has three components to drive better education and health outcomes for young New Zealanders:

  • New Health and Physical Education and Hauora curriculum resources (Ministry of Education).
  • Toolkits and a health promotion workforce to support adoption and implementation of healthy food and water-only policies (Ministry of Health).
  • A physical activity workforce (Sport New Zealand).

The new curriculum resources being developed by the Ministry of Education will be available to all schools and kura in Te Reo Māori and English.

The toolkits, also being developed in Te Reo Māori and English, are available to all schools, kura, kōhanga reo and early learning services. A health promotion workforce based in Public Health Units throughout the country will provide practical support to assist education settings to create healthier food environments.

Healthy Food and Drink Toolkit for Early Learning Services – Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora website(external link) 

He Kete Rauemi Kai Hauora mā ngā Ratonga Mātauranga Kōhungahunga – Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora website(external link)

Healthy Food and Drink Toolkit for schools – Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora website(external link)

He Kete Rauemi Kai Hauora mā ngā Kura – Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora website(external link) 

Healthy Active Learning will see regional sports trusts, educators, public health units and government agencies partnering to deliver the best education and health outcomes for children and young people in their region.

Schools and early learning services can contact the National Public Health Service for more assistance.

National Public Health Service(external link)

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