Small organization, big dream

Small organization, big dream

< Back to Articles | Topics: Trends | Contributors: Barb Johnson (Senior Communications Advisor, Doctors Nova Scotia) | Published: October 1, 2024

The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation (HTF) is a small non-profit organization with a big dream. Every day, the foundation’s three-person team strives toward a day when all Nova Scotians are inspired, informed and empowered to enhance their wellness through active and healthy living.

The foundation was created by Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) in 2018. It is led by executive director Kerry Copeland with support from communications advisor Elizabeth Sutcliffe and health promotion advisor Michelle Lincoln. The team is supported by a volunteer board of directors.

The HTF promotes physical activity through three key offerings, the newest of which is a free program for employers to help employees be more active.

Kids Run Club

Kids Run Club (KRC) is the HTF’s flagship program, a free, school-based recreational running program designed to give children and youth an opportunity to embrace active, healthy living and to develop healthy habits for life. More than 17,000 children and youth participate in KRC each year in communities across the province.

This year, the program was awarded the prestigious PHE Canada Impact Award, which celebrates outstanding contributions to physical and health education and healthy school communities. Kids Run Club has been acknowledged for its innovative resources and practices, which have demonstrated transformative impact. This award is particularly significant as it coincides with the KRC’s 20th anniversary.

Established in 2004 by DNS, KRC transitioned to the HTF in 2018. Kids Run Club addresses common barriers to physical activity, including financial challenges, lack of access to programs and poor physical literacy. The program is offered at no cost, requires no special equipment and is adaptable to all ages and abilities.

Make Your Move

Make Your Move is a public engagement and awareness campaign that aims to encourage Nova Scotians to move more throughout the entire day. The goal is to inspire less-active people to think about movement differently and recognize that it’s easy to move more through small bouts of movement in the day, which counts toward an individual’s overall activity.

Make Your Move at Work

Make Your Move at Work (MYMAW) is a program that helps people in workplaces across the province to easily add more movement into the workday, supporting physical and mental health and wellness.

The MYMAW program is free for any workplace in Nova Scotia and was built to be flexible. The MYMAW team will work directly with organizations to tailor the programming to fit their unique needs – whether the organizations are large or small, with employees working in the office, from home or in a hybrid arrangement.

This program is an ideal opportunity for Nova Scotia employers to play a leadership role in promoting increased movement throughout the day. For an overview of the MYMAW program, download the Toolkit Primer (healthytomorrow.ca/make-your-move-at-work) to discover how your organization could support employees in moving more throughout the entire day.

Learn more about the HTF and its activities at:

healthytomorrow.ca

< Back to Articles | Topics: Trends

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