The United Nations in Canada (UNA-Canada) engages Canadians in the work of the United Nations and critical international issues. The "Healthy Children, Healthy Communities" project aims to put the "A Canada Fit for Children" document...
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The United Nations in Canada (UNA-Canada) engages Canadians in the work of the United Nations and critical international issues. The "Healthy Children, Healthy Communities" project aims to put the "A Canada Fit for Children" document (http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/publications/2002-002483/canadafite.pdf) in the hands of Canadian 10-13 year olds. We empower Canadian youth by putting their voices first in community dialogues about developing and measuring children’s community-based health indicators and, most importantly, by engaging communities to take action in order to make appreciable differences in the lives of Canadian youth.
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We will visit ten Canadian communities and engage in community roundtables: we will spend a day facilitating workshops on health issues with youth in a school setting. Representatives of the youth workshops will then attend a second workshop with community leaders (e.g. parents and caregivers,...
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We will visit ten Canadian communities and engage in community roundtables: we will spend a day facilitating workshops on health issues with youth in a school setting. Representatives of the youth workshops will then attend a second workshop with community leaders (e.g. parents and caregivers, childcare workers, health practitioners, educators, community developers, local government officials, private sector representatives), where their ideas and proposals will guide the discussion. The emphasis is not only on including youth voices, but on making them primary actors in following through with health action plans made by each community.
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- Form a network of partners across Canada willing to lend expertise and share knowledge of healthy child living.
- Identify local, on-site representatives in the ten project communities across Canada (5 in BC and 5 across Canada).
- Review publicly-available Canadian literature on...
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- Form a network of partners across Canada willing to lend expertise and share knowledge of healthy child living.
- Identify local, on-site representatives in the ten project communities across Canada (5 in BC and 5 across Canada).
- Review publicly-available Canadian literature on children’s health (ages10-13) and the effects of social determinants of health on this age group.
- Conduct two surveys (one with children aged 10-13 and one with general Canadians), identifying perspectives of Canadians regarding the health of children aged 10-13, and advancing a comprehensive health model for youth that incorporates the inclusion and analysis of the social determinants of health.
- Plan, develop, and implement ten regional roundtables (described above) in the ten project communities across Canada, producing community-based indicators of children’s health and community action plans.
- Plan, develop, and implement one national roundtable in Ottawa targeting approximately 25 engaged Canadians.
- Create educational resources for Canadians (final report, curriculum, resource manuals), including policy recommendations for the federal government and a report for the UN Commission on the Rights of the Child.
- Form a National Children’s Team for sustaining the community action plans.
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