Okanagan Charter
The Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting University and Colleges calls upon post-secondary schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.
What is the Okanagan Charter?
In June 2015, the University of British Columbia co-hosted the International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges at the Okanagan campus, bringing together participants from 45 countries, representing both educational institutions and health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO.
Over three days, these organizations collaborated on the development of the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.
The Okanagan Charter provides institutions with a common language, principles and framework to become a ‘health and wellbeing promoting campus’ and outlines two Calls to Action:
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To embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates;
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To lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally
The Two Calls to Action from the Okanagan Charter guide Ursinus’ approach and are the foundations of creating well-being for our community. Ursinus College is committed to the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff.
Ursinus is a member of the US Health Promoting Campuses Network: Learn more here.
Read the full length report of the Okanagan Charter to understand it’s intent and impact.
There are 16 other Colleges and Universities who signed onto the Okanagan Charter between 2020-2022. There are almost 100 institutions who have joined the network and are working towards signing the charter. Ursinus became the first liberal arts college to sign the charter in Fall 2022. See list of colleges here.