Chad Oatway has always been drawn to being active where he grew up loving the outdoors and playing multiple sports. After high school, Chad attended college and university to study physical health and fitness as well as play football as a student-athlete. With a passion for sport and physical health, Chad explored multiple areas in his studies to understand the physical, social, and emotional aspects of health. Finding connections to a more holistic health approach, Chad worked with athletic teams as an athletic trainer and strength & conditioning coach as well as personal trainer before pursuing his educational degree to work with youth to influence a healthy lifestyle early on.
Since beginning his teaching career in 2005 in the New Westminster School District, Chad has had the opportunity to work with youth of all levels as a Physical Health Education, Foods & Nutrition, Career Education, Leadership, & Science teacher. During this time, Chad has been heavily involved in coaching sports and developing curriculum for the New Westminster School district around physical health education to help meet goals within the district and province. Currently, Chad is teaching middle school, and looking for ways to develop health and physical literacy in his students and the district. Chad is continuing to explore the 3E Health Model of teaching in his classroom, building on the components of social, emotional, and physical health in his students. Chad is passionate about sharing and presenting the 3E Health Model with teachers and parents from his learning and experiences in the classroom and personal life on how to develop healthier youth. Personally, Chad loves being active with his family in the great outdoors, coaching his children, and being involved in athletics and sport. |
Karen Janzen has always connected to strength through vulnerability in her life. While her career path seemed untraditional at times, her heart’s compass has always been set on supporting youth in developing resilience and in discovering meaning. When research began emerging that not only are resilience and meaning-in-life a valid “thing”, but they’re actually the antidote to today's societal ills, Karen knew she was in the right career, at the right time, with the right skills.
For the last two decades Karen has worked in the public school system as a Prevention and Health Promotion Specialist, which is a contract from Fraser Health Authority (Mental Health Substance Use Services), informed by the Ministry of Children and Families, and Public and Population Health. Karen plays a large variety of roles within Prevention & Health Promotion, spanning from grade 6-12 classroom presentations, substance use assessment and referral counselling, to regional health promotion projects involving all levels of government agencies. Karen’s passion to develop 3EHealth emerged out of the seemingly scattered SEL and substance use Core Competencies within PHE curriculums that students weren't finding as helpful as intended because classroom facilitators didn’t have the tools to make these concepts connected, teachable, and meaningful. Karen’s life experience as the solo parent to a special needs child has deeply enriched her insight and intuition. When not at work, developing 3E Health, or navigating the special needs systems of care, Karen is enjoying the local trails and beaches with her son. |
3E Health has its origins in the presentations Karen did in Chad’s PHE and Career classes. After several years of these presentations resonating with each other, Karen and Chad realized they had the same passion and philosophy for health promotion, but were approaching it from different and complimentary angles. Chad and Karen still challenge each other on different elements of health promotion and while they sometimes differ on finer points, they find each other’s perspectives to broaden and deepen their personal understanding and efficacy of health.
