Motivating Teachers to Create Healthier Classrooms
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 9:13am — laikenAHA strongly believes that teachers have a unique opportunity to shape the health and wellness of their students. This is one of the driving factors in our plan to create the Health Teachers, Healthy Schools Initiative here in Wake County. Healthy Teachers, Healthy Schools will provide teachers with continuing education credits through a learning network that capitalizes on their passion for creating a healthier school environment. Too often, we place all of the blame on school cafeterias for obesity and poor nutrition. Child nutrition services plays a vital role and certainly has room to improve when it comes to providing healthier meals, but parents, teachers, and our community share in this responsibility.
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Who We Are
Advocates for Health in Action is a group of diverse organizations and community members who are shaping the environment throughout Wake County so healthful eating and physical activity are the way of life.
AHA currently consists of approximately 50 partners, and we always welcome new partners to the table. To see our partner list, click here. If you would like to join AHA, please click here!
What We Do
AHA works to achieve its mission by shaping policy and environments that ensure available and affordable access to healthful foods and physical activity for all community members. AHA does not create or implement programs, but facilitates partnership and collaboration between existing programs and services to create a community that works together effectively. AHA also helps identify gaps in community resources and advocates for what is needed to fill these gaps. The AHA membership currently includes nearly 50 stakeholder organizations and will continue to grow as needs and opportunities are identified.
Advocates for Health in Action also works to showcase and promote healthful eating and physical activity opportunities and programs in our community. Visit our community resource page to find out what our county has to offer.
Advocates for Health in Action accomplishes its' work in the following work groups:
Summer 2010 Status Update
Speakers Bureau: A speaker’s bureau has been developed to meet community needs for education around topics true to the mission of AHA. Approximately 15 community presentations have been given December-June on AHA related work.
Continued Engagement and Inclusion of AHA Membership: New members are being engaged as appropriate. Currently, we are pulling together a group of current AHA members and potential new partners in Western Wake County to specifically address the needs of their community. Our plan is to create a model in Western Wake that can be replicated across the county.
Wake County Mapping Project: The AHA GIS map is complete and available for public use. There are currently 4 youth groups actively mapping Wake County. This month, 7 youth from our group were invited to the International GIS Conference in San Diego to present their work. A call is scheduled with the USDA to replicate this project nationally.
Brains and Bodies Workshops: A Brains and Bodies Presentation was given to all Principals and PE teachers in District nine. School Board members are currently discussing a wellness challenge between districts to improve school health and wellness policy implementation. In partnership with SHAC, a comprehensive web resource is being created to provide administrators, teachers, and staff with resources to implement and strengthen the local wellness policy.
Community Gardens: Focus is set on working with the City of Raleigh to make text changes to the City of Raleigh Zoning to allow community gardens as primary use on private land and eventually city-owned land. This work was a result of the Dig In Summit in April where over 160 people gathered to learn about how to create a more community garden friendly Wake County. AHA’s goal is to use the work with the City of Raleigh to create similar zoning and land use policies in all municipalities across Wake County.
Community Needs Assessment: AHA members continue to be engaged in the steering committee, environmental health, and physical health committee. We will continue to work to address our needs in the assessment report.
Additional Projects:
· In May, all Wake County Mayors signed a resolution supporting the National Physical Activity Plan. A press conference was held with representatives from all major media outlets including NPR. We have formed relationships with our mayors that are being leveraged in projects such as wellness policy implementation and zoning work.
· A comprehensive guide to creating walking programs was developed along with a stretching video on You Tube created by Wake Teen Medical Services. Walking programs have been implemented in schools, worksites, and neighborhoods as a result of this work.
· With leadership from the Town of Cary and Camp Snack Game Plan was developed to assist in the implementation of healthy snacking policies for summer camps and afterschool programs. We will continue working with our youth serving partners on policy development and implementation.
· The Be Our Voices Healthcare Provider Advocacy Training has been developed and will be delivered in September and October. Due to the success of the program, we have been awarded an additional $8000 by NICHQ to create a project sustainability plan.
· We had a very successful short session at the Legislature. Nine obesity related bills were passed. Three AHA partners presented to the Task Force on Childhood Obesity, and AHA partners engaged in grassroots advocacy to help push the bills through.
· AHA is working with the Asthma Coalition to promote the idea of youth serving organizations flying ozone flags and providing education about exercising when air quality is poor.
· Assisted in Fit Community Designations for Raleigh and Cary. Cary was designated as gold, and Raleigh Silver.
· Assisted Western Wake Farmer’s Market with plans to begin accepting EBT cards. Provided nutrition education at the market, and extensive promotion of the project across the community including local pediatrician’s offices. Secured $1,000 from John Rex Endowment for the market to provide an EBT match.
· Continued work with School Food Focus to create policies to secure more healthy local food in large urban school systems across our country.
Recognition
· AHA was invited by the North Carolina Obesity Funders Alliance to present information about how AHA has become a successful collaborative in North Carolina.
· AHA was invited by the North Carolina Division of Public Health to the ESMM Coalition Advisory Board to help develop guidelines on how to create a successful community coalition.
· AHA was invited by the UNC School of Public Health to present to state-level public health leaders about engaging youth in health-related advocacy.
· AHA presented on a national webinar for the Association of Community Health Improvement on the importance of policy and environmental Change in obesity prevention.
Marbles Guests learn at Dig In and Eric Henry educates participants about the TS Designs Garden.