The Great Prairie Race 2025
The Goal
For youth to connect by learning about each other’s communities through fitness and a virtual meeting.
Throughout the month of February, classes and/or whole schools from across the prairie provinces (AB, SK, MB) are invited to get in motion and see how far they can move as a combined effort. For example, participants can choose to walk, run, wheel, skate, snowshoe or cross-country ski. Each time they move, they keep track of their distance covered and add it up as a group.
In 2024, 20 schools participated and tallied their distances moved for a combined total of 9,138 kms!
Sign up and invite another community to join the challenge! The more communities the better!
2025 Registration Open
Begins February 1
Participating Schools
AB/MB Schools:
École St Germain, Winnipeg, MB Dr. Probe Elementary School, Lethbridge, AB St. Theresa of Calcutta Elementary School, Lethbridge, AB Lakeside Outreach School, Slave Lake, AB Westview School, Stony Plain, ABSK Schools:
St. Nicholas Catholic School, Saskatoon Tisdale Middle & Secondary School, Tisdale St. Frances Cree Bilingual School St. Gabriel School, Biggar Wadena Elementary School, Wadena Lake Lenore School, Lake Lenore Glaslyn Central School, Glaslyn Muskowekwan School, Muskowekwan First Nation Henry Braun School, Regina St. Angela School, Saskatoon Sturgis Elementary School, Sturgis Bert Fox Community School, Fort Qu’Appelle Ecole Lumsden, Lumsden St. Augustine School, Humboldt Humboldt Collegiate Institute, Humboldt St. Dominic School, Humboldt
Accepting The Challenge Means
- Map out a 1 km walk in your community or schoolyard or calculate how many laps around a gym = 1 km
- Keep track of the distance moved and submit it info@northernlightsmovementforkids.ca on or before March 3, 2025
- The communities meet virtually at the beginning of the journey on Monday, February 3rd at 11:00 a.m. (SK time) to say hello.
- Send student-made Valentines. Examples of places to send Valentine’s to: youth centres for at-risk youth, local hospital, local nursing home, local retirement home, another school that is participating in the NLMFK’s Great Prairie Race. If sending by mail, please allow enough time for delivery.
- Each school will select two student representatives to share about their community during the last virtual meeting (see below for list of questions).
and the end of the challenge on Friday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. (SK/MB time) and 10:00 a.m. (AB time). - Teachers who register their class, submit their distance moved and show evidence of distributing Valentines will be entered for a chance to win class prizes.
This is a great opportunity to be physically active, meet new friends, and learn about each other!
At The End of The Journey
Meet virtually to say “hello” and learn about each other by answering or sharing the information from the questions below:
- On what Treaty territory do you live?
- What is the population of your community?
- What is the population of your school?
- What are some of the most popular, healthy pastimes for youth in your community?
- What are special traditions that take place in your community?
- Name 1 or more admirable and positive role models that live or have lived in your community? Why are they admired?
During the Challenge
Saturday, February 1:
- The Great Prairie Race Begins
- Virtual Meet #1 (short introduction and hello from each school)
Friday, February 14:
- Valentine’s Day (deliver Valentines)
- Jacob Leicht’s Birthday
Monday, March 3:
- Great Prairie Race Ends
- Submit Your KMs
- Virtual Meet #2 (2 student reps from each school share fun facts about community)
- Winners Will Be Drawn for Class Prizes
You Can Win! And So Can Your Class
Draws will be made for class prizes at the end of the challenge.
To be entered, teachers who register their class must:
- Submit their distance moved
- Show evidence of distributing Valentines
Past Years Results
Our Chant
The Great Prairie Race!
We walk to a place
To learn about each other
Be friends with one another.
Under the same sky, what do you see?
The Northern Lights shining down on me!
The Great Prairie Race!
The Great Prairie Race!
Share Your Success
We want to hear from you! Share your journey, distance travelled, and connections made along the way. You can email us photos or share them on social media using the hashtag below.
#greatprairierace
