Forum brings together individuals involved in SACK project
A recent forum in Charlottetown brought together students, teachers, and community partners participating in unique research, which examines school-based health promotion projects in Prince Edward Island schools. Dr. Donna Murnaghan and Dr. Jo-Ann MacDonald, researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island's School of Nursing, received funding from the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (CCSRI), for the (S)chools (A)gainst (C)ancer: Using a (K)nowledge to Action Process (SACK) project. SACK is aimed at translating local evidence into school-based health initiatives.
The SACK project used data from the School Health Action, Planning, and Evaluation System-Prince Edward Island (SHAPES-PEI), which monitors key health indicators of PEI students from grades 5 through 12, and has done so since 2008. SHAPES-PEI provides health profiles to individual schools so that health promotion activities may be tailored at each school, based on identified needs.
'Funding from the CCSRI for the SACK project has been instrumental for us to partner with schools to better understand how knowledge exchange works between researchers and schools,' said Dr. Donna Murnaghan, co-principal investigator of SHAPES-PEI and SACK. 'Most importantly we are better able to understand the complexities of what works and what does not work, for both researchers and schools, when evidence is being used to inform action on prevention.'
SACK was able to proceed thanks to the cooperation and participation of schools, the PEI English Language School Board, and La Commission scolaire de langue française.
'Through SHAPES-PEI, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has been generating local health evidence to help inform school-level policy and planning,' said Sterling Carruthers, School Health Specialist. 'Research projects like SACK provide opportunities for PEI schools to leverage additional resources and supports in their efforts to create healthier school communities.' Since 2009, the government has provided funds for schools to act upon their SHAPES-PEI data through the School Health Grant.
SACK was funded through a CCSRI Knowledge to Action (KTA) Grant. KTA Grants are designed to support projects capable of closing the gap between what health research tells us, and what we do with that knowledge. Accordingly, the SACK projects undertaken by PEI schools address chronic disease prevention by helping young people to understand modifiable risk factors and get an early start at living healthy lives. One school project had students pair with teachers to lead various activities including geocaching, a scavenger hunt, Zumba classes, and arm wrestling; this project was also supported by community partners in the region, including Go!PEI.
The SACK project explored how a knowledge to action process can be tailored most effectively within individual schools. This research will help support PEI schools in using evidence and building community partnerships to create healthier school communities.
For information:
Dave Atkinson
Research Communications Officer, UPEI
(902) 620-5117, datkinson@upei.ca
