Background / History
Recreation Nova Scotia is proud to be the Nova Scotia provider of HIGH FIVE®, Canada’s only Quality Assurance Program for recreation and sports programs for children aged 6-12. HIGH FIVE® provides a range of training, assessment tools and resources to help organizations deliver high-quality programs.
The research tells us that the experiences children have in sport and recreation at an early age have a life-long impact. Positive experiences in sport and recreation help children become capable, caring adults who contribute more effectively to the community in the future.
HIGH FIVE® ensures leaders, coaches, and instructors have the tools and knowledge to nurture a child’s mental health and create those positive experiences for children
Our top two courses with in-person options are:
1. HIGH FIVE® for Older Adults
People in Canada over the age of 65 now outnumber those under the age of 15. Based on the success of the quality standard for children’s programs, HIGH FIVE® has launched a new standard for older adult recreation. This 3-year project which began in Jan. 2016 builds on the current HIGH FIVE® national industry standard for children, using best practices and systems already in place to customize a standard for the rapidly advancing demographic; older adults. Quality recreation has a significant role to play in keeping older adults healthy and active.
A new Principles of Healthy Aging Workshop for leaders and coaches working with older adults is now available. The PHA workshop is a one-day training that provides insights into the unique needs of older adults participating in recreation or leisure activities. Participants will learn evidence-based approaches to improve the experiences of older adults participating in recreation programs. The training will cover topics like ageism, program planning and the importance that physical literacy and social connectedness play in sustained long-term health, improved mental and physical well-being and a better quality of life.
2. Principles of Healthy Childhood Development
The Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD) is a 4-hour training that equips front-line leaders (anyone working with children aged 4 to 12) with the tools to immediately enhance the quality of their programs. The training provides valuable information, resources, and techniques to ensure that each child's social, emotional, and cognitive needs are met.
Online HIGH FIVE courses:
QUEST 1 Policies and Procedures Training for Children's Programs and online resource manual - $150:
This 2-hour online training will help supervisors and managers assess, develop, measure and adopt child-focused policies and procedures. Participants will access 86 policies and procedures in key risk areas including hiring, emergency management, program planning and report tracking. Learners will identify how to use the evidence-based HIGH FIVE QUEST 1 to adopt a child-centred approach to service delivery and operations to minimize risk. If there are areas where no policy or procedure exists, managers will have access to templates to develop them.
Healthy Aging QUEST 1 Policies and Procedures Training for Older Adult Programs and Online resource - $150:
This training will help supervisors and managers assess, develop, measure and adopt older adult-focused policies and procedures. Participants will be provided with sample policies and procedures in key risk areas including hiring, emergency management, program planning, and report tracking and learn how to adopt an older adult-centred approach to service delivery and operations to minimize risk.
Principles of Healthy Aging QUEST 2 Program Evaluation Training - $65:
Online Healthy Aging QUEST 2 provides an evidence-based approach to evaluating programming for older adults. Themes include ageism, program planning, and the importance that physical literacy plays in sustained long-term health, increased social connectedness, improved general mental and physical well-being and a better quality of life.
PHCD Online Training - $40:
This self-directed training will help front-line leaders (anyone working with children aged 6 to 12 – i.e. camp counsellors, coaches, swim instructors) improve the quality of programs. It provides training in the HIGH FIVE Principles of healthy child development so front-line leaders understand what they need to do to ensure each child’s social, emotional and cognitive needs are met.
Healthy Minds for Healthy Children - $15 for anyone who has not taken a frontline HIGH FIVE course - (this course is free for folks who have taken PHCD or HIGH FIVE Sport):
HIGH FIVE® Healthy Minds for Healthy Children is a 1-hour online training and downloadable resource to help those working with children positively influence their mental health. The training builds on the HIGH FIVE Principles of Healthy Child Development with expert content from Dr. Stanley Kutcher and Dr. Wayne Hammond. The training provides engagement strategies for nurturing resiliency in children and offers insights into common mental health distress or disorders that children could be experiencing.
View all other courses offered here.
HIGH FIVE® for:
For More Information
If you would like to enroll in a training workshop or host a training, please get in touch with