Idea acf3547:

School and Community Getting Fit together!

Posted November 9, 2009

Posted by: Patricia George
Organization: Ascension Collegiate
Location: Bay Roberts Newfoundland Canada
Category: Encourage Healthy Lifestyles
Cost: Medium ($10,000 – $50,000)

So many people in our Canadian society are experiencing problems with health, be it obesity, smoking, stess related activities or poor environmental conditions. In this increasingly busy world, we also recognize the need for families to spend meaningful time together. Many recognize the benefit of exercise in reducing weight, and lowering stress levels, yet cannot afford either the time or the money to work out at the community fitness centres. Our school environmental group have taken an unpaved parking area and transformed it into a garden green space that have brought the young and old together, working side by side, constructing walkways, laying sod, and planting trees and shrubs. We have a gazebo, water feature and picnic tables that are used for lunches, an outdoor classroom, and meetings, music, art, as well as for mentoring partners who wish to quit smoking. We need, as a focal point, a five-piece outdoor green gym, that together with the round picnic tables, would comprise an outdoor classroom for Healthy Living classes, suitable for all year round use. This fitness equipment, would be free of charge to students of the school or any resident/ families of the community. Families have an opportunity to sit by the brook, chat, workout, help weed a shrub bed, all in the fresh open air. All the while, we are practicing environmental stewardship, and increasing biodiversity to the grounds. Many businesses have donated in kind materials to bring us this far. The cost for the remaining green gym item? $12 500. Help us make this project complete! Vote for our idea!

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violetholmes

There has been a lot of time and energy put into this project so that the whole of the communities can benefit from it!
November 13, 2009 @ 3:22 PM EST
noofie16

I think this is a great idea and from the pictures see alot of time, money and effort has already gone into this. I hope this works out. I have some fears tho...I went to high school at Ascension, graduated in 1991. I remember the smokers hung out in that area and near the pool to smoke on breaks, they would leave a huge mess. Also people would use the area on weekends to drink, same result. I just hope that no one decides this is a good party location and destroys all the hard work that has been done. I know times have changed since I went to school there and I hope it has changed for the better in that youth will respect the location more than they used to. This project can have alot of promise and great benefits for the community. I wish everyone involved the best of luck and good for you for doing this!!
November 13, 2009 @ 10:31 PM EST
Kees

This is one school project that needs to be supported - I have watched the progress since Patricia George & her students, businesses & community members all gave a helping hand to make this an out door teaching classroom. Most of this GAIA Youth Group are the same young people that pitch in for a yearly clean-up of the Shearstown Estuary Wetlands - great group of young people. It is a long way from 1991 & peoples habits have changed somewhat - don't we wish all bad habits could be broken - not to be so but most of the young do realize that this is what they helped build & so will not let others destroy it if at all possible. Come on & get your fingers tapping on the keyboard - vote to get this outdoor classroom a place to get fit & stay fit. :-) Cathy K
November 14, 2009 @ 10:53 AM EST
baseball

BASEBALL 2752 BYE ET BONNE JOURNÉE!!
November 18, 2009 @ 9:48 AM EST

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School and Community Getting Fit together!

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