High Five Accredited

Our recreation programs are High Five® accredited, Canada’s only nationally recognized quality assurance framework for excellence in recreation programming. St. John’s is the only municipality east of Ontario to achieve this certification.

High Five® helps organizations enhance the quality of their children's programs and provide positive experiences for children.

Since 2004, our staff – together with our partner Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador - have trained over 6,700 recreation leaders in the province in High Five® principles of healthy child development. While hundreds of organizations and municipalities use these principles to enhance the quality of their programs, a select few represent the highest standard of excellence and the benchmark for excellence in children's programming.

High Five® is the only recognized certification for recreation and sport in Canada based on the Five Principles of Healthy Child Development for children aged 4-12 years.

Caring Leader: adults establishing caring, positive and supportive relationships with children aged 4 to 12, to promote positive social skills, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Friends: positive peer interaction that fosters inclusion, acceptance, the opportunity for fun in constructive play, and the opportunity to develop and practice pro-social skills.
Mastery: Providing children with activities and tasks that enable them to feel special, important, and successful.
Play: Fun, creativity, co-operation, and shaping their environment using their imaginations.
Participation: Making choices, having a voice, and doing things by and for themselves, which supports positive self-expression, physical activity, and interaction with others.

Photo Gallery: Principles of Healthy Child Development will appear here on the public site.

“On behalf of High Five National and the entire team, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations on your recent re-verification for High Five® Accreditation! This outstanding achievement truly showcases your unwavering commitment to the High Five® Quality Standard for Children in Recreation and Sport and its invaluable impact on our community... Your organization's achievements serve as an inspiration to us all, and we look forward to witnessing your continued success in the years to come.” - Maggie Henderson, Director of Quality Assurance, High Five National