|
|
WHERE WE LEARN
 Whether you are involved in a before or after school program, a faith-based learning situation, or are enrolled in a public school, private school or college, there are ways to "Eat Better, Move More, and Be Tobacco Free" where you learn.
Many Oklahoma schools, large and small, have been successful in taking action to improve the health of their students and faculty. Students and parents can make a difference by getting involved and encouraging schools to improve school food choices and physical activity programs.
 There are resources available to help promote the values and attitudes that will set children on a healthy course throughout their lives. An excellent gauge for educators to determine how your school is doing in its efforts to provide a wellness-friendly environment is the Oklahoma's Healthy and Fit School Scorecard. The Healthy Oklahoma Schools Manual is a comprehensive resource for making students' learning environments healthier places. Click here for a downloadable copy of the Healthy Oklahoma Schools Manual.
|
|
 The Oklahoma Farm to School Program provides the opportunity for schools to purchase locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables to serve in school breakfast and lunch programs. Farm to School also integrates hands-on learning through gardening, farm and farmers market visits, cooking and tasting classes, along with nutrition and educational curriculum.
|
 Programs offered to Oklahoma's youth outside of the formal school setting present exceptional opportunities to increase physical activity, promote better eating habits, and protect children and youth from experimentation with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The Oklahoma Afterschool Network can help you implement quality programs addressing these risk behaviors. CATCH-Kids Club (Coordinated Approach to Child Health), a nutrition and physical activity after-school pilot, will be launched throughout Oklahoma by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and county health educators, along with after-school partners in the fall of 2007.
|
 Oklahoma's colleges are taking progressive steps to produce a bright and healthy workforce. One great example is the University of Central Oklahoma's Healthy Campus 2010, a cutting-edge program designed specifically for a college community. This program sets health goals for students, faculty and staff, while encouraging them to eat better, move more, and be tobacco free. |
|
- "A healthy lifestyle not only impacts our quality of life now, but in the future as well.
- We have the potential to reach thousands of students attending Oklahoma schools each day in order to promote healthier lifestyles.
- It is critical to think more proactively about educating the whole child because physical and emotional well-being are strongly linked to academic success."
- Wendy Jones, Executive Director, Schools for Healthy Lifestyles
|
