How to Start a High School Wellness Program
A school wellness program can effectively raise students' awareness of the lifestyle choices they are making each day. It can promote better eating and exercise habits, which can help the students have the energy and focus they need to do well in class. When you focus on the overall well-being of the students in the school, their ability to learn will improve.
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Things You'll Need
- Grant money
- Sponsors from local community
- Plan to implement
- Committee from the school
Instructions
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Form a committee that will oversee the wellness program. To be effective it should include a nutritionist from the school or district, teachers, PTA members, members of the administration and students.
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Write a mission statement for the wellness program. It should contain the aim of the program as well as how you plan to achieve that goal. Be sure to address diet, student awareness and exercise. The mission statement can also help when applying for grants.
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Plan specific activities, events and policies that you want to implement in your wellness program. You can include adding healthier options in the cafeteria, a rewards program for regular exercise, a club promoting healthy exercise and diet or exercise groups such as yoga, an assembly featuring talks about wellness, and other school-sponsored events on wellness. You may want to plan a community outreach activity as well.
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Find funding for the activities and establish long-term goals for the project. There are many grants available for schools that are promoting overall wellness.
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Implement your plan by kicking it off with an assembly. Discuss the program and the changes being implemented around the school to promote wellness. If healthy eating or exercise groups are formed you can introduce them at the assembly.
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Tips & Warnings
When you launch a new program it helps to give incentives to those who participate. You can offer prizes from sponsors or an extracurricular activity.
Be sure to have your plan reviewed by a nutritionist and a doctor. In fact, you may want the nutritionist and doctor to speak at the assembly to kick off the event.
Another good idea is to offer smaller seminars for the students who are interested in learning more about the wellness program. These could take place during or after school.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit the pack image by Mitchell Knapton from Fotolia.com
