Ethan Benskin of the Reynold Weekes Primary School receives the first prize in the Primary School Poster Competition from Faith Holder, UWI Human Nutrition and Dietetics Student.
Sebastian Matthews of the St. Gabriel's School receives first prize in the Primar School Essay Competition from Dr. Kia Lewis, Competition Judge 1.
Makenna Clarke of the Lodge School receives first prize in the Secondary School Essay Competition from Ms. Georgina Jordan, Clinical Dietitian 1.
Not giving up on healthy lifestyle push
THE Ministry of Education is serious about sensitizing students about the benefits of adopting healthy practices using modalities other than curricula.
As such, Education Officer with responsibility for Healthy Initiatives, Hedda Phillips-Boyce says that government body is planning a number of competitions which will encourage students to engage in healthy lifestyle choices.
She disclosed this recently while speaking during the Prize Giving Ceremony for the Nutrition Month School Essay and Poster Competition.
Over 53 entries from 15 schools were submitted for this inaugural contest which was held for Nutrition Month in May. It was organized by the clinical nutrition services team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in col- laboration with the Education Ministry. Pupils age three to 14 participated.
organize with other partners a competition named, ‘Out with NCDs’ and the dietitians at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were involved in that. Currently, there is an initiative taking place called, ‘Active Kids’ sponsored by UNICEF. This activity encourages students to accumulate steps. They were given a pedometer and eight schools were involved in this pilot. This pilot project intends to encourage students to become active, to keep mov- ing. We are encouraging them to get in as many steps as they can...”
Phillips-Boyce also dis- closed that the “Ministry is in the embryonic stage of planning another competition which encourages students to prepare a healthy snack and healthy dish using our root vegetables. The idea is for a manufacturer to create the winning snack for sale to supermarkets if feasible, giving the student credit of course. The creative dish using our root crops could be made by canteen concessionaires or maybe even school meals.”
She also disclosed that the Education Ministry will be continuing with Water Wednesdays and Fruit Fridays as well as encourage schools to continue to increase the number of days these are done. Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Sonia
Browne was also in attendance at the Ceremony. In her remarks, she congratulated all participants and stated that the first-time
contest received a good response. She pointed out this is an indication “that the message of the importance of good nutrition,
and I add here, regular physical exercise to good health and wellbeing is getting across to Barbados.”(MG)