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Serving Ladysmith, Chemainus and area
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Open & Shut cases for literacy: P. 5
Program helps Island families reshape habits Craig Spence the chronicle
Students at the BC Tech Summit Code Camp learned that high tech is about creativity and teamwork
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First BC Tech Summit a coding eye-opener for Island students Craig Spence the chronicle
On Jan. 18 and 19 more than 2,000 people flocked to the Vancouver Convention Centre for the BC Tech Summit, two days where businesses, educators and students got to immerse themselves in a non-stop smorgasbord of presentations, show cases and hands on tech experiences - including panels and a ‘Code Camp’ specifically for students. I thought it was really successful,” said teacher Magen Boniface, who attended with nine students
of the eBus Academy, an online school operated out of Nechako Lakes School District. “It just offered such a broad range of perspectives,” she said. Included in the eBus Academy group were Alana Perry, who lives in Nanaimo, and Aiden and Naeven Alle Kopas, of Ladysmith, who were joined by their mother Ellina. One of the most important outcomes for students at the conference was an understanding that digital tech is not about individuals in cubbyholes, keying code anonymously.
“The idea of tech is not “Before coming to the one where you work in conference I was pretty isolation, you’re part of a sure what I wanted to do – team,”Boniface said. “I re- now I’m not so sure,” Perally think it broke the ste- ry said. So she’s rethinkreotype of tech for some ing her plan to zero in too of our students.” narrowly on computer It also forked what might sciences as her major dishave seemed a straight- cipline at university. forward career path. What Not that she doesn’t Boniface and her students want to create innovalearned is that tech as a tive code, a facet of the business sector has made business students got a its way into the circuitry taste of at the BC Tech of almost every occupa- Summit’s two-hour Code tion. Camp, but it became clear “Tech is everywhere,” Bon- to her that you can apiface said. Which means proach digital tech from there’s more than one the inside-out and from pathway for getting into it the outside-in. in the field. See Tech Summit, Page 4
A pilot program that helps families get active, adopt better eating habits, and stay healthy has received ongoing funding and will be available in the Central Island region permanently. “It’s kind of neat, because we’re the only ongoing program on Vancouver Island,” said Louise Kirkhope, social worker / coordinator with the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Central Island Healthy Lifestyles: Shapedown BC is a 10 week intensive program, where families work with a dietitian, social worker, physician and fitness instructor to build healthier lifestyles. “It’s not a boot camp, and it’s not promoted as a weight loss program,” Kirkhope said. The program is offered to families “seeking support making positive changes.” Funding for the program, established in 2006, comes from the BC Children’s Hospital, which announced Tuesday, Jan. 26, that $230,000 would be available for Vancouver Island in the coming year. The program is also offered in the Fraser and Interior health regions. It is available to families with children aged 6 to 17 (in age ranges of 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17). A referral from a doctor is required to register, and Kirkhope said Central Island Healthy Lifestyles will help families that need assistance getting a referral. Participation by parents as well as children is mandatory, and includes a 10 week group program for two hours each Wednesday at Oliver Woods Community Centre in Nanaimo; and a Saturday morning, 11 a.m. to noon family-oriented activity with a fitness instructor, also at Oliver Woods. Nutrition and eating habits are an important component of the program. For instance, Kirkhope pointed out that many families do not eat together, but have their meals separately, sometimes while engaged in other actives, like watching TV or playing computer games. “If somebody is sitting in front of a screen and eating, they are eating with distraction,” Kirkhope pointed out. That means they are likely missing ‘hunger cues’, which can lead to over eating. Learning about healthy nutrition, diet and activity levels, and setting achievable goals, which are tracked and monitored during the program, is key to making positive changes. “Each week they are setting positive goals,” Kirkhope said. About ten families can participate in each 10 week cycle, and three programs are offered each year. Families within the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District can apply to the program, as can families elsewhere in the Central Island and beyond. For information, phone Central Island Healthy Lifestyles: Shakedown BC at 250-755-7955.
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