Peter Legters is programme manager at JOGG for schools and childcare settings. He focuses on themes such as physical activity, nutrition and sleep, as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle among young people in municipalities. Around 170 municipalities across the country now work with the JOGG approach. “JOGG’s vision is that schools and childcare settings are environments where structural attention can be given to a healthy lifestyle. This can be done in two ways. First, you can ensure that the school day makes a positive contribution to a healthy lifestyle; by focusing on nutrition and physical activity, you make children more vital. In addition, the school environment is ideally suited to learning about these issues. After all, it is not always easy to understand why you should take good care of yourself, what healthy food actually is and why you need to exercise. Fortunately, we are seeing that schools are increasingly recognising the role they can play in this.”
JOGG realises that a ‘healthy lifestyle’ is not yet compulsory in education and that time is scarce. “That is why what you do has to be effective. We therefore align ourselves with programmes such as Healthy School and Healthy Childcare, which provide structural attention to a healthy lifestyle based on well-founded interventions.”
Because of its focus on physical activity, JOGG came into contact with Presikhaaf Schoolmeubelen, with which it set up the first edition of the Reward Campaign. Legters considers it a logical partner: “With its sit-stand school furniture, Presikhaaf Schoolmeubelen has the right hardware to get people moving. As JOGG, we want to break the pattern of prolonged sitting and encourage more physical activity. The Reward Campaign was intended to give the collaboration in this area an additional boost.”
For the second edition, the aim is to attract even more participating schools. “That is why, on the one hand, we have tried to make participation more accessible and, on the other, to take a broader approach and involve a partner such as Wieblie as well.”
Legters hopes to receive many entries. He also hopes that the submitted examples are, or will become, part of a broader approach to a healthy lifestyle at school. “We would like schools to build on this afterwards, and as JOGG we would also be happy to help them with that.”
According to Legters, however, the best reason to take part is that being active and moving brings a great deal of joy to the classroom. “It may take some getting used to a new way of doing things, but once you are accustomed to it, you as a school also see how much it yields: healthier pupils, more dynamism in the classroom and better focus and concentration after letting off steam. And these are all things that contribute to a better learning environment. It would be wonderful if this Reward Campaign were a first step in that direction.”
The Reward Campaign
Schools can submit their videos or photos for the Reward Campaign until 13 November. The winner receives a workshop on movement-based learning for their team. In addition, participants can win one year of access to Wieblie, the platform for movement-based learning.