What is 'NSTEP?
'NSTEP stands for Nutrition, Students, Teachers Exercising with Parents.
'NSTEP is a not-for-profit registered charity, providing hands-on nutrition and physical activity programs directly into the classroom in the Calgary, Airdrie and Didsbury areas to prevent obesity in children and youths. 'NSTEP's program accomplishes the above mission by incorporating two components, physical activity and nutrition, involving all three major stakeholders, students, parents and teachers. 'NSTEP provides an opportunity for participants:
- to assess their physical activity and food choices
- to learn (educate) about healthy life choices
- to practive these skills
The main objective of these three elements is to form long-term, sustainable, lifestyle skills. These are accomplished through interactive physical activity and nutrition presentations, which engage the learner. 'NSTEP provides accountability for the participants and the opportunity to evaluate their lifestyle changes.
Why get 'NSTEP?
To give students, teachers and parents the necessary tools to create a healthy lifestyle. Using food guide slides, pedometers and surveys, 'NSTEP assesses the student's activity level and food choices. Through interactive nutrition presentations, snack attacks (healthy eating does taste good!) and physical participation, 'NSTEP supplies the ground level support required to build a healthy school community.
What differentiates the 'NSTEP organization from others?
The involvement of all three stakeholders, the tools and resources used to educate, measure, and assess physical activity and food choices. Therefore, participants can evaluate their daily activity level and food choices. 'NSTEP is inclusive'; all students are involved in the 'NSTEP program including those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Skill I and II (moderate developmental disabilities).