What is Project Energize?

Team Energize staff are available to assist schools with a whole range of initiatives and projects related to healthy eating and physical activity. For example:

• Help promote healthy eating through school lunch order systems
• Provide information on healthier food choices for lunches and snacks
• Assist teachers in providing varied and quality Daily Exercise activities
• Encourage children to choose more active play options at home

• Each school will develop its own plan. This will be done in consultation with the children, teachers, parents and wider school community.
  
• During the school's time with Energize , a staff will be inviting parents to attend small group meetings to discuss the issues involved in improving children's lifestyle choices.

We know that our children, along with the rest of our community, have increased health problems such as lack of fitness, poor teeth, poor bone strength, and increasing obesity. Project Energize has been designed to improve our children's health.

The health problems are all associated with decreasing physical activity, increased inactive time, decreased intake of calcium, fruit, vegetables, and increased intake of fat and sugar-dense food and drink.

No - Project Energize is an "evolution not revolution" programme. Instead of adding to the school load, Project Energize staff will help the schools change what they do, and how they do it, not just add another curriculum programme to the full school programme. Project Energize is gradual, not a "big bang". Starting with a school stock take, the Project Energize staff will help schools identify opportunities for change, provide resources where needed, and support the change process.

For the children involved, and over time their families and communities, we will be promoting a series of key messages related to nutrition and activity. The messages will reinforce activity of all kinds, and simple nutritional messages.