About the Project

APPLE Schools (A Project Promoting healthy Living for Everyone) is an innovative school-focused health promotion initiative. The project works with vulnerable school communities to change students’ healthy eating, physical activity, and mental health habits to improve their quality of life. There are currently 75 APPLE school communities across Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Manitoba.

Dr. Kate Storey and the SIRCLE lab team have been involved in ongoing research and evaluation with APPLE Schools since 2010. In that time, Dr. Storey has led multiple qualitative and mixed-methods research projects with APPLE Schools, with the aim of understanding the comprehensive school health (CSH) process from the perspective of individuals working in or with APPLE school communities. Dr. Storey and her team are leading a process evaluation of APPLE school communities in rural and remote areas. This research is focused on understanding what taking a CSH approach looks like in these unique and diverse contexts.

For more information about this project, contact: sircle@ualberta.ca

For more information about APPLE Schools, please see: www.appleschools.ca

Helpful resources for this project include:

Resources

  1. APPLE Schools 2021 Report: Working with Community and Inspiring Change. Submitted June 30: 20 pages.
  2. APPLE Schools 2020 Report: A Sustainable Approach to Embedding Wellness in School Culture. Submitted January 23: 24 pages
  3. APPLE Schools 2018 Expansion Report. Submitted April 8: 21 pages.
  4. APPLE Schools Website http://www.appleschools.ca/
  5. APPLE Schools Scientific Research Papers http://appleschools.ca/scientificpublications

Select Publications

  1. Klassen, D., Montemurro, G., Flynn, J., Raine, K., Storey, K. (2024). “It trickles into the community”: A case study of the transfer of health promoting practices from school to community in Canada. SSM – Qualitative Research in Health. doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100427
  2. Klassen, D., Champion, C., Montemurro, G., Flynn, J., Raine, K., Storey, K. (2022). It takes a community: exploring APPLE Schools’ impact within and beyond school walls in Canada. Health Promotion International. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac050
  3. Storey, K., Stearns J.A., McLeod, N., Montemurro, G. (2021). A social network analysis of interactions about physical activity and nutrition among APPLE schools staff. Social Science & Medicine – Population Health, 14. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100763.
  4. Ofosu, N.N., Storey, K.E., Veugelers, P.J. (2020). Adolescents’ perspectives on environmental and individual factors influencing their health behaviours. Alberta Academic Review, 1(3). doi:10.29173/aar30.
  5. McKernan, C., Montemurro, G., Chahal, H., Veugelers, P., Gleddie, D., Storey, K.E. (2020). Translation of school-learned health behaviours into the home: student insights through photovoice. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 110(6):821-830. doi:10.17269/s41997-019-00232-1. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.17269/s41997-019-00232-1.pdf
  6. McKernan, C., Gleddie, D., Storey, K. (2020). Student-centered photovoice as a mechanism for home-school interaction: teacher perceptions of efficacy. Health Education Journal, 79(1):82-93. doi:10.1177/0017896919862849.
  7. Ofosu, N.N., Ekwaru, J.P., Bastian, K.A., Loehr, S.A., Storey, K., Spence, J.C., Veugelers, P.J. (2018). Long-term effects of comprehensive school health on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, health behaviours and weight status of adolescents. BMC Public Health, 18:515. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5427-4. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12889-018-5427-4.pdf
  8. Roberts, E., McLeod, N., Montemurro, G., Veugelers, P.J., Gleddie, D., Storey, K.E. (2016). Implementing comprehensive school health in Alberta, Canada: the principal’s role. Health Promotion International, 31(4):915-924. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dav083. https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/31/4/915/2593478
  9. Roberts, E., Gleddie, D., Veugelers, P.J., Storey, K.E. (2016). The principal: a key player in creating a healthy school culture. Health Matters. Alberta School Boards Association. Submitted November 4: 1 page. http://www.appleschools.ca/files/ASBA_Health_Matters_newsletter_Vol._3,_No._1.pdf
  10. Roberts, E., Bastian, K., Ewkaru, J.P., Veugelers, P., Gleddie, D., Storey, K. (2016). The role of the comprehensive school health principal in knowledge sharing and exchange. Physical & Health Education Academic Journal, 8(1):1-18. https://ojs.acadiau.ca/index.php/phenex/article/view/1600
  11. Storey, K.E., Montemurro, G., Schwartz, M., Farmer, A., Veugelers, P.J. (2015). Preparing school health facilitators: building competence and confidence for a new role. Physical & Health Education Academic Journal, 7(2):1-15. https://ojs.acadiau.ca/index.php/phenex/article/view/1590
  12. Storey, K.E., Cunningham, C., Spitters, H., Schwartz, M., Veugelers, P.J. (2012). The Sustainability of APPLE Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions. Physical Health and Education Journal, 78(3):16-22. http://www.appleschools.ca/files/TeachersPerceptions-Sustainability.pdf
  13. Storey, K.E., Spitters, H., Cunningham, C., Schwartz, M., Veugelers, P.J. (2011). Implementing Comprehensive School Health. Teachers’ perceptions of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating in Schools: APPLE Schools. Physical & Health Education Academic Journal, 3(2):1-18. https://ojs.acadiau.ca/index.php/phenex/article/view/1422

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