The History of PAX in Canada

 

PAX has been in Canada for eight years. In response to concerns over growing mental, emotional and behavioural health issues, Healthy Child Manitoba identified PAX GBG as an evidence-based approach for schools to address these concerns. During the 2010/11 school year the Seine River School Division in Manitoba piloted the implementation of PAX in its schools. Within ten weeks, problematic behaviours dropped by 45%.

 

Following these impressive results, the province of Manitoba announced a province-wide Randomized Control Trial (RCT) research study for first grade classrooms. Over 200 schools participated. Upon completion of the RCT, results of the study were published and PAX was been made available to other grades in the province. In addition, research has been undertaken by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and the University of Manitoba in partnership with the Swampy Cree First Nation. This has led to the introduction of PAX Dream Makers for First Nations youth in the Province. To date, over 1000 classroom teachers have been trained to bring PAX to over 21,000 students. PAX trainings are also provided in French and many of the materials, including the most recent 4th edition PAX manual have been translated into French.

 

At the 2012 Premier’s Mental Health Summit, representatives from other Canadian provinces were introduced to PAX GBG. As a result, the province of Alberta partnered with PAXIS Institute to implement a recently completed RCT study of 30 schools using PAX in all elementary grades (K to 6). Some teachers from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have also been trained in PAX. Currently, the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, the Francaphone school district in Cape Breton is planning to implement PAX in pre-school classrooms.

 

In response to growing interest and demand for PAX in Canada, in 2016 PAXis Innovation Canada was created as a not-for-profit organization.