Lachute Healthy Heritage Project

Lachute CLC

Students of Laurentian Elementary participated in a character-building workshop for at-risk students to feel more connected to their family and school.

This initiative was executed through an “Intergenerational Gardening Project” which teamed up an at-risk student with their grandparents to help teach the students how to grow flowering plants, which requires technical and timely support to harvest and finally sell their flowers as a part of a school fundraiser.

 

The overall aim was to have the student’s work at something they could see through to the end, while being invested throughout in order to help them develop the lifelong skills necessary for success while creating a positive connection between family and school.

The workshop went off brilliantly and students found themselves invested throughout, learning that patience and dedication are virtues worth cultivating. The initiative was a great success that the children and partners involved can both be proud of.

The project was successful through the irreplaceable help of partners Benoit Mallet a Teacher at L.E.S., Erin Traynor L.E.S.’sSpecial Education Technician, and Rola Helo at 4Korners Family Resource Centre.  

Baie-Comeau Healthy Heritage Project

Baie-Comeau

Baie Comeau CLC organized three intergenerational health activities with the support of the CHSSN grant, with the shared goal of bringing both young and old together in mutually beneficial workshops to build relationships and counter social isolation.

One activity was the ‘Hero in 30’, a workshop where members of the 50+ Club worked alongside high school students to learn how to assess the state of a person in physical distress and deal with a crisis situation using CPR and first aid; a highly beneficial skill set important for any age.

The second and third activities saw two groups of elementary school students working alongside members of the 50+ Club to share healthy living habits and dialogue on issues concerning social isolation, increasing empathy and understanding.  

Later in the day, members of the 50+ Club treated students to a heritage and history exchange where they learned about the historical significance and uniqueness of the Church of St. Andrew & St. George, as well as how the building reflects the heritage of the Anglophone pioneers of Baie-Comeau.

Overall the workshops were a huge success through great contributions by the CLC’s partner - North Shore Community Association (NSCA), the 50+ Club and the Church of St. Andrew and St. George. With the help of these organizations the Baie Comeau CLC and community were able to reach their goal for this year of creating ownership and pride in our heritage sites.

The project also supported learning beneficial skills related to crisis management, understanding of local history and continuously promoting a healthy active lifestyle for young and old alike while shrinking the generational gap and social isolation.

Harrington Harbour Healthy Heritage Project

Harrington Harbour CLC

This project gave  students an opportunity to learn cooking and food preparation strategies. Because many students will end up leaving this small town to go away for school, we wanted to show them how to maintain a well balanced diet once they are away from home and build their confidence in their abilities so that, even for those remaining in town, they are not afraid to try cooking something different on their own. Our larger goal is to support their healthy growth and proper functioning now and into the future. The 50+ Club wanted to create connections with the youth in the community and show them the traditional manners of cooking local specialities.

Since the onset of the program they had seen all of the students involved evolve from shy quiet young men (at least in the kitchen!) waiting to be told how and what to do, to young men with the confidence to start on their own and follow a recipe once they know what they are preparing.  The evenings are now filled with camaraderie, jokes, smiling faces and good smells.

The project was concluded with a spaghetti dinner (with something a little less healthy for dessert, Texas Brownies, we thought that this was a good way to end) for all of the volunteers prepared by 8 of the student participants

“They did an amazing job and it was a great evening.” CLC Coordinator

As always none of this is possible without the help of some great people. The 50 + Club provided recipes and cooking skills. The BCN En Forme , also helped to make this whole endeavour possible by providing supervision and extra help. It is the contribution from these partners as well as the willingness of the students involved which has made this project such a great success and so much fun. 

Try some of the Harrington Cooking Club's recipies at home by... Clicking Here.