Guides and Scouts members can now earn a special Guelph-Humber badge for eating well, being active, tending to their mental health
Learning about healthy active living from a young age sets youth up for success in forming positive lifestyle habits including moving their bodies, eating well, and focusing on mental health throughout their lives.
That’s why the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH), through “Let’s Get Together,” is collaborating with Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada. This includes the creation of a special Guelph-Humber badge that each troop can earn through creating healthy habits (pictured above). Fourth-year Kinesiology students who will also serve as senior volunteers at U of GH’s Science Rendezvous event in May (also in partnership with Let’s Get Together) and U of GH Kinesiology Associate Head Dr. Robert Gumieniak, a former Boy Scout himself, also delivered a virtual presentation to over 200 youth about healthy eating and nutrition, the importance of fitness, and understanding mental health and mindfulness.
“I’m super passionate about fostering curiosity within the new generation,” Kinesiology student Rita Yacoub said, who enjoyed being one of the student presenters. She added that she loved thinking of creative ways to convey scientific information to kids, applying her hands-on knowledge gained at U of GH in this manner, and even got to tap into her inner child to do so. “I'm very proud to be part of a community that wants to give back and share what we're learning,” she also said.
For both organizations, Dr. Gumieniak explained that the Guelph-Humber badge falls “under the kinesiology umbrella” for its connection to fostering healthy habits. Kinesiology is health science, but when applied, it helps people gain a high quality of life through physical activity and healthy eating habits. For Girl Guides, the badge is called “Be Well” and for Scouts, it’s called “Year-Round Fitness.”
To teach the children about what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle, the U of GH Kinesiology students created a slideshow broken down into three topics: nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. The presentation showcased Canada’s Food Guide, planning meals for camp, types of exercise, practicing mindfulness, and more, to engage, inform, and inspire Girl Guides and Scouts.
“If we can inform youth about why this is important to start cultivating those sorts of behaviours at an early age, I think it's more likely that individuals will make smarter choices, but also ingrain physical activity and exercise throughout their lives,” Dr. Gumieniak said. He noticed that the youth were already attuned to the information on mental health, which he was impressed with.
After the virtual presentation, Dr. Gumieniak shared that the troops sent videos, showcasing themselves getting up and moving – about 211 youth participants having a blast and sharing in a moment of being active together.
“It's great for the University to make these connections with the younger generations. We're able to motivate [youth] to come to Guelph-Humber versus another university because we offer all these different hands-on learning experiences, especially in my program of Kinesiology, that they may not get elsewhere,” student presenter and Kinesiology student Geordy McClelland said.
To learn more about the upcoming Science Rendezvous event on May 10 at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Guelph-Humber, click here.
