Join Us!!
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of OHSC
Monday, May 26th 2025
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Featuring a 25 Year Celebration of Healthy Schools
Sunday, May 25th 6:30pm
Our upcoming annual conference, taking place at:
Ontario Tech University
Oshawa, ON
Residence & Conference Centre - Oshawa
32 Commencement Drive
Oshawa, ON
Healthy Schools: Celebrating 25 Years
Join us in celebrating this milestone year for the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition! This participatory, in-person conference features a dynamic agenda designed to engage all attendees while providing valuable opportunities to connect and network with colleagues from across Ontario.
Milestones in Healthy Schools: A look back at key achievements and how they’ve shaped Ontario's schools.
Lessons Learned: Challenges and successes in promoting health and well-being over the past 25 years.
Voices from the Past and Present: Insights from founders, early champions, and current leaders.
Future Innovations: Sharing of new research and innovative programs and practices that will shape healthy schools of the future.
Plenary Sessions
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of OHSC
Monday, May 26th 2025
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Featuring a 25 Year Celebration of Healthy Schools
Sunday, May 25th 6:30pm
Our upcoming annual conference, taking place at:
Ontario Tech University
Oshawa, ON
Residence & Conference Centre - Oshawa
32 Commencement Drive
Oshawa, ON
Healthy Schools: Celebrating 25 Years
Join us in celebrating this milestone year for the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition! This participatory, in-person conference features a dynamic agenda designed to engage all attendees while providing valuable opportunities to connect and network with colleagues from across Ontario.
Milestones in Healthy Schools: A look back at key achievements and how they’ve shaped Ontario's schools.
Lessons Learned: Challenges and successes in promoting health and well-being over the past 25 years.
Voices from the Past and Present: Insights from founders, early champions, and current leaders.
Future Innovations: Sharing of new research and innovative programs and practices that will shape healthy schools of the future.
Plenary Sessions
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Vertical Divider
Dr. Adam Cole
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University Addressing youth substance use: Looking back to move forward One of the greatest public health triumphs has been the decline in youth cigarette smoking. However, the use of other substances, like vapes, has become a new public health threat among youth. How can we address youth substance use in a constantly evolving field? By looking back at past challenges and successful approaches used to address youth substance use, we can better equip ourselves to improve the health and well-being of Ontario youth. |
Vertical Divider
Dr. Colin King, PhD
Director, Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic & Associate Professor - Applied Psychology The Next Frontier: Building Student Resilience with Intentional SEL Practice Opportunities in School Significant progress has been made in supporting student well-being by incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into programming. What is the next frontier? Using classroom SEL to build challenging, but realistic goals for students to practice SEL skills and competencies. Using the experience of test anxiety as a model, this presentation will overview how we can support student resilience through intentional practice. |
Active Plenary
Michelle Hillier
Breath+Fire (formally Groove EDGEucation/Fit2Dance)
Ontario Tech U
Niagara U
For nearly 20 years, Michelle has championed inclusive, accessible dance education, aligning with school initiatives in physical literacy, mental health, and mindfulness.
Through programming and training across 20+ boards, her message remains:
Kids need to MOVE—their way, where they can’t get it wrong.
Michelle Hillier
Breath+Fire (formally Groove EDGEucation/Fit2Dance)
Ontario Tech U
Niagara U
For nearly 20 years, Michelle has championed inclusive, accessible dance education, aligning with school initiatives in physical literacy, mental health, and mindfulness.
Through programming and training across 20+ boards, her message remains:
Kids need to MOVE—their way, where they can’t get it wrong.
Workshop Sessions
Workshop Session A 10:15 - 11:15am
A |
Title |
Presenters |
Description |
A-1 |
TBA |
TBA |
|
A-2 |
The Future is Calm: Unlocking Student Potential with Child-Centred Meditation |
Tyler Boyle |
Learn how daily Mindful Minutes are shaping the future of healthy schools. Discover research-backed strategies and the 5 S’s of Meditation to enhance mental health, emotional well-being, and resilience in students. This actionable and practical workshop equips all to create calmer kids and calmer classrooms. |
A-3 |
Rowing in the Same Direction: A Systematic Approach to SEL for Students and Adults |
Chris Preece Marc Need St. Clair Catholic District School Board |
This interactive session explores a K-12 SEL tiered approach to improving student outcomes. Participants will learn a collaborative framework, engage in "add water and row" activities, and discuss differentiated strategies for supporting cultural diversity through a trauma-informed lens. Reflection will focus on the impact of these strategies on student and staff mental health and wellbeing. |
Workshop Session B 1:00 - 2:00pm
B |
Topic |
Presenter |
Description |
B-1 |
Centering Belonging in Healthy Schools: Our Journey to Re-Imagining |
Celenna Ciuro Alex House Ophea |
For three decades, Ophea has focused on improving student health and well-being in schools across Canada. Recently, Healthy Schools Certification underwent an in-depth 2-year review. Learn about the upcoming changes, and hear from partners, researchers, and schools, that have supported this re-imagining – and share your own feedback and experiences too! |
B-2 |
Youth Wellness Champions |
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) |
Learn about this free program that is implemented in partnership between schools/school boards and public health units. Good mental health is important for everyone, including youth. Mental health, illness and substance use among youth is a very serious issue. The good news is that peer-support-based interventions such as the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) Youth Wellness Champions (YWC) program help find solutions. Whether you’re an adult or a youth seeking to pave a brighter future for other young Canadians, our YWC Toolkit will help you be better informed, inspired and most important of all, involved in helping to create supportive, inclusive and resilient communities. |
B-3 |
Strengthening partnerships between School Boards and Public Health Units for healthier schools in Ontario |
Michelle Boersema |
This session will provide an overview of the current context as it relates to partnership and collaboration between School Boards and Public Health Units in Ontario to support comprehensive health promotion in schools. This information will be based in recent research completed by Michelle Boersema through the Doctor of Nursing program at the University of Toronto. In addition to his, workshop participants will have the opportunity to explore and discuss how this research compares to academic literature available and participants own practice experiences. Attendees will be able to learn from both evidence available and one another to identify strengths and opportunities to further enhance partnership and collaboration in pursuit of healthier schools in Ontario. This session is well suited for leaders within School Boards and Public Health Units in Ontario. |
Conference registion
Full Conference Registration includes the 25 Year Celebration the evening of May 25th
Early Registration Until April 30th 2025 |
Regular Registration Until May 17th 2025 |
NEW for 2025 Post-Secondary Student |
275 |
325 |
100 |
per-person |
per-person |
per-person |
OHSC Non-Members Additional Fee $75 per-person |
OHSC Non-Members Additional Fee $75 per-person |
Offered to students enrolled in a post-secondary program After April 30th Additional $10 |
Conference Overnight Accommodations
Registration fees do not include overnight accommodations. Conference delegates requiring overnight accommodations are responsible for making their own arrangements.
Direct Booking Link: 2025 IPA Ontario Health School Coalition (May 25-26) | Book Now
Room Rate: CAD $104.95
Residence & Conference Centre – Oshawa, 32 Commencement Drive, Oshawa, ON
Conference Registration Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be issued for the conference registration fees under any circumstances. If you are unable to attend the conference, you are welcome to send a colleague in substitute.
The name of the substitute must be provided before May 20th 2025 to: OHSC Admin Coordinator, Arlene Morell:[email protected] . Registered participants who do not attend will be charged the full registration fee with no refund.
Registration fees do not include overnight accommodations. Conference delegates requiring overnight accommodations are responsible for making their own arrangements.
Direct Booking Link: 2025 IPA Ontario Health School Coalition (May 25-26) | Book Now
Room Rate: CAD $104.95
Residence & Conference Centre – Oshawa, 32 Commencement Drive, Oshawa, ON
Conference Registration Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be issued for the conference registration fees under any circumstances. If you are unable to attend the conference, you are welcome to send a colleague in substitute.
The name of the substitute must be provided before May 20th 2025 to: OHSC Admin Coordinator, Arlene Morell:[email protected] . Registered participants who do not attend will be charged the full registration fee with no refund.
