School Health Grant for Youth: Overview

Current status: Open

We are currently accepting applications. Eligible applications will be approved on a first-come first-served basis until funds are fully expended, or until December 20, 2024 11:59 AM Eastern Standard Time.

On this page

• About the grant
• Priority areas

About the grant

The School Health Grant for Youth provides youth the opportunity to apply for micro-grants of $1,000 if they are:

• aged 16 to 19 and
• enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school

The goal of the grant is to empower youth to develop their own initiatives that encourage and promote healthy living in their schools.

Projects must match up with the Public Health Agency of Canada's mandate and encourage, support and empower youth to make healthy choices and live in healthier ways by doing one or both of the following:

• teaching participants about important topics
• sharing resources and information to support healthy living

Activities funded through the grant will help to promote youth health in a school setting with a focus on 1 of 4 priorities.

Priority areas

1. Positive mental health and well-being

Example: Bring in an expert to host a workshop on resiliency and other skills that promote positive mental health. Example topics could include:

• mental health challenges for newcomers
• coping strategies for navigating culture differences

Example: Host a learning event aiming to inform participants about essential skills to:

• manage their emotions
• build resilience
• maintain positive mental health

Themes could focus on:

• mindfulness
• stress management
• where to access resources within the school and community

2. Healthy eating and nutrition

Example: Support students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to develop healthy eating habits that support health and well-being. Organize a cooking workshop and use Canada's food guide kitchen to help you find recipes for meals to cook. Provide participants with a book of recipes and other healthy eating information from Canada's food guide. Information could include:

• Adjusting recipes to meet your needs
• Cooking with plant-based protein foods

Learn more:

• Food guide kitchen

Example: Arrange for a registered dietitian to speak at a school assembly about using Canada's Food Guide to support healthy eating. The presentation could focus on how to include cultures and food traditions in healthy eating.

Learn more:

• Cultures, food traditions and healthy eating

3. Physical activity

Example: Organize an interactive workshop led by a professional that informs youth about the health benefits of limiting sedentary behaviour to support healthy development. Encourage participants to brainstorm ways to replace sedentary behaviours and stay active throughout the day together. To encourage participation during the workshop, host an instructor to lead a fun movement session.

Example: Host an inclusive wellness week with daily physical activities highlighting different, accessible ways to be active throughout the day. Encourage participants to think about ideas on how to make activities accessible for all, including individuals with disabilities. This will promote health equity and inclusivity. At the end of the week, create a poster that can be shared with your peers with tips for staying physically active and inclusive.

4. Reducing substance-related harms

Example: Host an awareness event for youth about the health effects of vaping in youth and share resources for students who hope to quit or reduce their harms.

Example: Organize a workshop on preventing and reducing substance-related harms, focused on reducing stigma and holding non-judgemental conversations.

Related links

• Youth in Canada
• Making a budget
• Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health

Health resources

• Youth health
• Mental health and wellness
• Mental health support: Get help
• Resources for preventing substance use and related harms among youth
• Physical activity tips for youth (12 to 17 years)
• Physical activity tips for adults (18 to 64 years)
• Pride guide 2022: Youth strategies for tackling gender-based violence in our schools
• Promoting mental health and wellbeing for children and youth: Protective factors (infographic)

Canada's Food Guide

• Canada's Food Guide
• Sugary drinks
• Healthy eating for teens
• Healthy eating on a budget
• Physical activity and healthy eating
• Healthy eating and the environment
• Marketing can influence your food choices
• Cultures, food traditions, and healthy eating
• Make healthy meals with Canada's food guide plate