Sixteen Schools Receive 2019-2020 NWT Drop the Pop Awards

Press Release

Diane Thom, Minister of Health and Social Services, announced the 16 schools chosen to receive awards as part of the 2019-20 Drop the Pop campaign.

Forty-five NWT schools participated in the 2019-20 Drop the Pop challenge using funding to promote healthy foods and beverages. The winning schools will be awarded prizes ranging from $500 – $1,800 in recognition of their activities and creative efforts for the annual awareness campaign.

Some of the highlights from this year’s winners are:

· In the South Slave District Education Council region, high school students created a post-apocalyptic scenario in which our water supply was compromised and was the catalyst for the spread of the zombie virus. Students researched and compared possible drinks that would be best for our survival if water wasn’t an option.

· Deh Cho Divisional Education Council students participated in events taught by elders on how to make healthy food from scratch and teachings about the importance of water to maintain their health.

· Students and their families in the Beaufort Delta Education Council were challenged to track how much pop they drank in a month with the goal of drinking no pop.

· Students at the Yellowknife Education District Number 1 (YK#1) formed a partnership with public health nurses and Ecology North to learn about the benefits of drinking tap water.

· Yellowknife Catholic Schools participated in a variety of activities that helped promote healthy drinks, traditional activities and healthy snacks.

· K’alemi Dene School hosted family night which featured healthy food and beverages, and educational games about sugary drinks.

Quote

“Congratulations to all winners and participants of this year’s Drop the Pop challenge. Sugary beverages and low-nutrient food can negatively affect children’s health. Drop the Pop provides learning opportunities for students about how food choices are important to their health as they grow.”

– Diane Thom, Minister of Health and Social Services

Quick facts

· Drop the Pop is an annual campaign supported by the Department of Health and Social Services that encourages students, families, schools and communities to:

o drink healthy beverages, especially water;

o eat a wide variety of healthy, local foods from the land;

o learn new skills and knowledge in order to be more self-sufficient, and;

o foster long-term healthy food and beverage habits so families can maintain and/or improve their overall wellbeing.

· This is the 14th year for the Drop the Pop campaign. Sugary drinks contribute to obesity-related chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.