School Health Grant for Youth

From: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Youth Grant Poster (PDF, 2.42 MB)

Text description

Grant opportunity for youth. Apply now for the School Health Grant for Youth. $1500, $2500, $3500. Are you a Canadian youth aged 13 to 19? In grades 9 to 12 (Secondary 3-6 in Quebec)? Passionate about healthy living? Youth-led projects must focus on one or more of the following:

• Reducing substance related harms
• Healthy eating and nutrition
• Positive mental health and well-being
• Physical activity

The School Health Grant for Youth provides Canadian youth, ages 13 to 19 and enrolled in grades 9 to 12 or Secondary 3 to 6 in Quebec, the opportunity to apply to 1 of 3 levels of grant funding ($1500, $2500, $3500). The goal of the grant is to develop youth-driven and youth-inspired initiatives that encourage and promote healthy living in their school. Project initiatives must align with 1 or more of the following PHAC priorities:

• Reducing substance-related harms
  • Example : Conduct a research project on vaping in your school and how it affects students.
  • Example: Organize a program on preventing and reducing substance-related harms, focused on ensuring the availability of life-saving tools like naloxone kits in your school environment.
• Healthy eating and nutrition
  • Example: Use Canada's Food Guide to help you design and implement a food program at your school, such as a school garden or healthy snack pantry.
  • Example: Organize a cooking workshop to increase awareness of healthy eating. Use Canada's Food Guide to help you decide on the types of meals to cook.
• Physical activity
  • Example: Organize a "come out and play" intramural sports program.
  • Example: Start an inclusive sports program that is accessible for youth with disabilities.
• Positive mental health and well-being^{Footnote *}
  • Example: Start a gender and sexuality alliance to help promote an inclusive school environment.
  • Example: Organize a learning event in your school to promote mindful social media use.

Who can apply

To apply you must:

• be a youth between the ages of 13-19
• be a student enrolled in grades 9-12 or in Secondary 3 to 6 in Quebec^{Footnote **}
• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in Canada
• not be a federal government employee at the time of applying

How to apply

1. Read and review the Youth Grant Applicant Guide.
2. Download and complete the Youth Grant Application.
3. Send your completed Application to school.health.grant-subvention.sante.scolaire@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
4. For guidance, assistance and ideas, please feel free to review our Youth Grant Q&A, our Youth Planning Booklet and examples of previous projects.

For more information:

• Youth Grant Applicant Guide
• Youth Grant Application (PDF, 1.15 MB)
• Youth Grant Q&A
• Youth Planning Booklet
• Previously Funded Youth Projects

Application deadline & timeframe

Please note that the deadline has been extended and we are currently accepting Applications until Monday, November 6, 2023 (12:00 pm EST). In addition, if further funding opportunities arise, we may be able to fund additional grant applications.

You can only submit 1 proposal per Call for Applications.

The Youth Policy and Partnerships Unit (YPPU) will review applications and communicate decisions directly to applicants via email and provide information on next steps. Successful applicants will be asked to complete their project and submit a Project Report by June 16, 2024.

Contact us

For more information about the School Health Grant for Youth, or if you have additional questions (or just need a helping hand), contact us at school.health.grant-subvention.sante.scolaire@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

Previously funded youth projects

Creating Connections Student Podcast Club

Youth created a student-led podcast with the purpose of sharing reliable information and knowledge on healthy living topics with students and their families, to encourage student connection and to inspire an increased sense of belonging within the school community. The podcast highlighted extra-curricular activities and student successes to encourage increased student engagement, and the project supported the creation of a new student-led podcast club that provided innovative student learning opportunities.

EASE (EnAbling Sports for Everyone)

Youth organized a workshop hosted by a community organization for participants (both school staff and students) to learn ways to empower youth with disabilities and hosted an Intramural Day for students to showcase what they learned. The goal of the project was to bring awareness to students with special needs and encourage the adaptation of physical activity and sports to make activities universal and inclusive to all students. The project aimed to build empathy and understanding of what it is like to have a disability, as well as inform student leaders in Physical Education of how to interact more compassionately with those who have disabilities.

Minds without Barriers

Youth hosted a series of monthly workshops led by student leaders that provided a safe space for students and access to information on school resources for newcomer youth. The initiative aimed to destigmatize conversations about mental health in the school community and homes of students; help newcomer, immigrant and refugee students feel more welcomed at school and erase the language and cultural barriers to accessing wellness resources; and increase general student knowledge on the issue of mental health.

Anti-bullying Project

Youth developed many project activities including 30-minute presentations to each classroom at the school, individual time with a guest speaker who taught the healing power of dance, a question-and-answer portion, an Indigenous Cultural Dance demonstration and an evening community session. This project brought awareness to the bullying epidemic amongst Indigenous communities, helped those who fell victim to the epidemic to not feel alone and helped provide hope.

Support for 2SLGBTQI+ Students

Youth hosted a number of different activities including but not limited to: workshops to demystify and remove stigma around mental health, to provide strategies for mindfulness and on the importance of nutrition; a musical performance before exams to allow students a moment of relaxation together; making buttons with various pride flags and pronouns; and preparing a list of well-being resources, such as healthy communication, the importance of sleep and available services in the community. This project aimed to share coping strategies with the 2SLGBTQI+ student population in order to support their mental health and well-being and to help 2SLGBTQI+ students affirm their identities.

Information and additional services:

• Youth Health
• Blueprint for Action: Preventing substance-related harms among youth through a Comprehensive School Health approach
• Resources for preventing substance use and related harms among youth
• Mental Health and Wellness
• Canada's Food Guide
• 24 Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth: An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep
• Pride guide 2022: Youth strategies for tackling gender-based violence in our schools
• Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health
• Making a budget
• Promoting mental health and wellbeing for children and youth: Protective factors (infographic)

To learn more about education, training, jobs, volunteer work and opportunities to make your voice heard check out Youth in Canada.

Stakeholders are encouraged to visit our toolkit for social media and promotional resources, including a poster and video, for the School Health Grant for Youth.