Healthy Living School | YMCA Calgary

Inspiring Health Through Active Learning

Healthy Living School is a week-long, immersive learning experience for students in grades 3–12, delivered in partnership with Campus Calgary/Open Minds. It brings classrooms into YMCA spaces for hands-on learning rooted in well-being, community, and exploration.

Teachers and students step out of the traditional classroom and into a dynamic, inclusive environment where health is explored through physical activity, reflection, creativity, and connection.

Apply for the 2025/2026 School Year

Why Choose Healthy Living School?

Help your students discover the connection between well-being and community. Here’s what makes this experience so impactful:

Inquiry-Based Learning

Every Healthy Living School experience is built around a year long classroom question, sparking curiosity and exploration through daily themes and activities.

Holistic Discovery

From mindfulness and gratitude to physical literacy and empathy, students explore how to live well mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically.

Real-World Connections

Students uncover how their choices shape their lives and their community. By connecting with people and places, they build a deeper sense of belonging and responsibility.

What a Week at Healthy Living School Looks Like

Physical Activities
Get moving with activities like sports, climbing, skating, swimming and age-appropriate group fitness activities that make healthy living fun.
Art, Dance and Drama
Explore creativity through expressive art like dance, drama, and visual projects to help enhance experiential learning.
Leadership and Team Challenges
Take part in group games that spark collaboration, communication, and confidence, helping students connect and learn.
Themed Reflections
Each day is grounded in themes like gratitude, mindfulness, positivity, and connection to self, to others, and to nature, helping students build deeper awareness and lifelong habits.
Community Engagement and Outdoor Exploration
Connect with the surroundings through guided nature walks, hands-on projects and collaborative activities that build social responsibility and bring learning to life outside the classroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Teachers from Calgary-area schools (Grades 3–12). We welcome CBE, CCSD, and independent schools.

Applications open in February and are due in early May for the following school year.

CBE & CCSD: $1,250/week (includes bussing)

Independent schools: $1,500/week (includes bussing)

Visit the Campus Calgary/Open Minds website for full application details.

Programs are five-day field experiences tailored to your class’s needs, co-designed between YMCA staff and the teacher.

6–9 weeks prior, a planning meeting ensures we co-create a schedule and learning outcomes that suit your students.