From early April to mid-June, Kids Run Club representatives supported schools in every region of the province, helping teachers plan their run clubs and making in-person visits to motivate and educate students.

And we’ve got a lot to share! Click the 2021–22 Year End Report below to read all about how Kids Run Club was able help almost 14,000 Nova Scotia kids get active, our updated Coach’s Handbook (now available in French!), the fun runs that participants trained for and what our dedicated coaches had to say.

Tighten your shoelaces because Kids Run Club (KRC) is springing into action for a 17^th year.

Despite navigating this challenging time, the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation (HTF) has been inspired by the resilience of kids across Nova Scotia who have met uncertainty with great courage and boundless enthusiasm. The HTF applauds this spirit and has designed KRC offerings to keep kids moving no matter what the circumstances.

New this spring: KRC Let’s Move

We are thrilled to share that the HTF, through its KRC program, has launched a new initiative called KRC Let’s Move (KRC Sois Actif in French). The goal of KRC Let’s Move is to provide a fun, simple, free and effective bilingual resource to support Primary to Grade 6 classroom teachers in facilitating movement while students learn online and when they are back in the classroom.

KRC Let’s Move accounts for factors such as time constraints and limited space, as well as ensuring options are suitable for all elementary students. It includes the KRC Let’s Move Toolkit,  with tips for teachers, a series of five-minute movement break videos, ideas for outdoor activities, the Alphabet Activity Challenge for use outdoors or in a gymnasium, and a modified KRC running program.

KRC Let’s Move videos

Imagine being transported to different iconic Nova Scotian locations and cultural landmarks, like whale watching off the coast of Brier Island, visiting Kejimkujik National Park and seeing a traditional Mi’kmaq birch bark canoe on the shoreline or even spotting wild horses at Sable Island. Kids will be immersed into twelve animated locations across the province for five-minute movement breaks led by KRC instructor, Leah.

View all of KRC’s videos via its bilingual YouTube channel. There, you will find the Let’s Move videos, the Alphabet Activity Challenge, videos from expert guest hosts, weekly tips, and more. KRC’s videos are flexible and can be done in class or at home with family.

Discover the benefits of registering your class online

As with Kids Run Club, all KRC Let’s Move resources are available for download from our website and no registration or fee is required. However, for those who wish to access additional support and prizes for students or to be eligible to win a teacher’s incentive prize, a two-minute online registration will be required. Once a class is registered, our team is available to provide more details and suggestions on how to incorporate KRC Let’s Move into the school day.

Once students are back in school, our team can also schedule a visit to provide a healthy living presentation and/or running clinic for classes that are participating in our Kids Run Club program.

Modified KRC program

While many schools have registered to offer KRC at school this spring, the latest school closures mean that plan is on hold. When kids return to school, the KRC team will be ready to support their teachers in getting them running!

We’re really excited about the modified KRC program as it makes it possible for classroom and PE teachers to offer the program to students during school time, combining shorter runs done at school with longer ‘homework’ runs done at home. This modified version includes all the regular KRC swag (KRC water bottle for teachers and drawstring bag for students) as well as support from the KRC team.

It also includes the traditional KRC resources: handbooks, runner’s logs, finisher’s prizes and visits from program representatives who can facilitate running clinics or healthy living presentations.

14-Week training program

When kids return to school, the 14-Week training program will be ready for them. The KRC modified training program takes into account that runs done during the school day will be limited by time constraints. Homework runs will provide an opportunity for students to gradually work on their endurance. KRC provides a training plan to help students plan and achieve a progressive running goal and possibly participate in a local fun run.

Outdoor activities

Whether learning from home or at school and when time and weather permit, having a movement break outside can provide kids with an opportunity for longer and more varied movement. Students generally love getting outside and the fresh air and change of scenery can add to the fun factor of the break. Visit the KRC Let’s Move Toolkit for KRC’s outdoor activity options.

Spring forth

The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation hopes these new KRC offerings keep kids moving into spring with a renewed sense of purpose and a continued joy of movement.

To stay current on all things KRC related, be sure to ‘like’ KRC’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Finding ways to encourage Nova Scotia youth to stay active is tough. It’s even more challenging during a pandemic. Schools have safety restrictions limiting how and when kids can gather. Teachers are finding ways to innovate and keep students motivated within their classroom bubbles.

Kids Rub Club (KRC) has been a physical activity staple since 2004. It provides a free and accessible running program to more than 17,500 youth in 220 schools. Like many groups, it’s had to adapt and modify so children can still have fun and reach goals, while staying safe.

Robbie Comar is a physical education teacher and KRC coach at Prospect Road Elementary. He’s been coaching the club since 2006. “I’ve always loved the concept,” he says. “All students need to participate is a pair of sneakers.”

That makes KRC as inclusive as possible across ability levels. It brings students together doing something they love. Every student at Prospect Road Elementary participates in KRC. “That’s between 220 and 225 children, depending on kids moving in and out of school,” says Mr. Comar.

Changing course during COVID-19

The coach previously held his run club outside of class hours, which required permission slips and parent volunteers. That slowed everything down and was a roadblock that kept more kids from participating. Because of COVID-19, teachers and coaches have had to be flexible. “I now hold it during my phys-ed classes. It’s the first 10 minutes of class, once a week,” Mr. Comar says.

He’s been doing KRC as part of in-school curriculum for the past several years. He says he hasn’t had to make major changes because of the pandemic. “If I’d been still hosting it at lunch, recess or after school, it would have been impossible to maintain classroom bubbles. We would have had to quit the club.”

Yet this year has been seamless.

Now the run club is held most days ‘weather’ or not it was originally scheduled. “What I tell the kids is that the first sunny day or nice day this school week is going to be our Kids Run Club day,” says Mr. Comar. “I’m doing the club Monday through Friday, juggling the weather. We want to be outside as much as possible, making sure everyone gets to run.”

2020 goals  

Aiming for eight runs, he plans to keep holding KRC until the weather deteriorates. “The kids are excited for a possible extension,” he says. “I normally would announce an end date early on in the school year, but because of COVID-19, I’m reluctant to set one in stone. The kids are enjoying running. I didn’t want to say, ‘This is when we’re done.’ We’ll let it run its course, so to speak. When we can’t run outside anymore, we won’t.”

Flexibility has been key.

Kids Run Club continues to innovate. It launched its #LetsKeepMoving campaign to support young and older Nova Scotians. It kept people moving when schools were closed during the worst part of the pandemic in spring.

Running rewards 

Mr. Comar is seeing positive results from the adaptations. He says there are improvements across running levels. “I had three students excited about trying interval training. They ran for 10 seconds, sprinting as hard as they could, and then walked for 10 seconds. They had their watches out. They timed themselves. It was a great moment.”

The coach also mentors his beginners so they don’t get overwhelmed. “I say, ‘It’s OK to walk.’ I’m teaching them how to goal-set. ‘You did three laps today. See if you can do four next time.’”

That’s the beauty of the non-competitive nature of KRC. It meets kids where they are and builds their confidence.

How you can get involved

Financial support of KRC means coaches like Mr. Comar can offer prizes. The kids can’t wait to see what the reward is from year to year. You can help the program do more gift-giving by becoming a KRC sponsor or one of its Community Champions.

“In 2020, each runner gets a drawstring backpack,” says Mr. Comar. “The students are pumped. Leah Jabbour [KRC coordinator] has already dropped off our 220 backpacks.”

Mr. Comar says the big thing about the reward is that it’s a means to an end. It motivates the kids to challenge themselves. “If they’re working hard to improve their running, they know they earn the reward the program offers. It’s a win-win.”

A childhood connection

The coach delivers another important message during cool down. He discusses a small part of his personal history relevant to learning outcomes and KRC goals. “I had asthma growing up. I used puffers. I don’t need them anymore. I’ve since run half marathons. When I was in high school, we had a 10-minute run. I didn’t know how to run well and I couldn’t complete it. My asthma would kick in. I wasn’t even close to being an elite athlete growing up.”

The students connect with the coach’s message: if I can do it, you can do it.

Thinking about starting KRC at your school? Please email Kerry Copeland.