students taking charge: youth advancing healthier school policies angela forfia students taking...
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Students Taking Charge:Youth Advancing Healthier School Policies
Angela Forfia
Students Taking Charge Program Manager
Action for Healthy Kids
If we fail to act, we endanger the future well-being of America’s youth, and, I dare say, of America itself. Our children deserve healthier learning environments—schools that promote lifelong habits of healthful eating and active lifestyles.Progress or Promises?
What’s Working for and against Healthy Schools
Three Areas of FocusImprove children’s eating habits
Three Areas of Focus
Increase children’s physical activity
Three Areas of Focus
Educate the public about the connection between health and achievement
Healthy Environment Activity
Students Taking Charge!
Students Taking Charge 2009-2011
Who is the audience for Students Taking Charge?
• High school students• Student leaders/advocates
• National Honor Society• School-based health center youth advisory council
• Mikva Challenge group• Other student organizations
• Middle school students
What are the benefits to schools?
• Develops young leaders• Youth development skills• Community service hours• Mentoring/Near peer education
• Increases student support for healthy changes
• Encourages students to be true partners in creating a healthy school
• Healthy students learn better!
What sets Students Taking Charge apart from other programs?
• Focus on environmental change• Five years of program success• Youth involvement in program
development from the beginning• Real high schools and real student
success stories• Funding for youth-led projects at the
school level
Meaningful Student InvolvementStudent-Adult Partnerships
Student-Initiated, Student-Led
Adults Initiate Action and Share Decisions with Students
Students Consulted by Adults
Students Assigned to be Involved
Tokenism
Decoration
Manipulation
Students Taking Charge
The goal of Students Taking Charge is to improve knowledge, increase self-efficacy, and promote meaningful student involvement as youth advocate for lasting changes around nutrition, physical activity, and health.
Students Taking Charge• Facilitator’s Guide: Four Modules
– Find Your Voice– Investigate Your School– Plan for Improvement– Mobilize for Change
• Students Taking Charge Website– Project Ideas– Evaluation materials– Connectivity
Facilitator’s Icons
Find Your Voice
Environmental change for students
“Students Taking Charge provides you with a step-by-step
toolkit and an interactive website to
teach you how to make your school a
place where it’s easy to be healthy!”
Find Your Voice Key Goals• Understand what a healthy school
environment means
• Define and demystify advocacy
• Figure out the difference between programs, policies, and practices
• Analyze local wellness policies
• Identify key decision makers and what matters to them
• Consider obstacles to making change
Make it Happen: Programs, Policies, and Practices (p.20-21)
Know Your Audience: Youth in Action
Investigate Your School
Investigation for students
“Before you can start advocating
for healthy changes, you
have to find out what’s going on
right now.”
Investigate Your School Key Goals
• Learn the importance of investigation• Collect information about the school• Develop an investigation approach• Overcome barriers such as lack of
administrative support• Utilize Students Taking Charge surveys• Understand the value of parents as allies• Find out about the School Health Index
Investigation Dots: Youth in Action
Make it Happen: Which investigation approach works for you? (p. 42-45)
Consider the pros/cons of…
Visual assessment Interviews with key informants Focus groups Student surveys Other surveys Whole school assessment
(recommended tool: School Health Index)
Plan for Improvement
Plan for Improvement for students
“Developing a plan of action will help
you figure out what needs to be done, who will do it, when it needs to happen, and
when you’re done!
Plan for Improvement Key Goals
• Determine specific actions to improve the school health environment
• Rank each action based on feasibility matrix
• Set short, mid, and long-term goals
• Anticipate and overcome challenges
• Tailor messaging for different audiences
• Build support for policy changes
• Develop an action plan and budget
Mobilize for Change
Mobilize for Change for students
“Every movement for social change starts with the passion of one individual who
inspires a small group of thoughtful
and dedicated people to take
action.”
Mobilize for Change Key Goals• Learn practical strategies for group work• Develop powerful messages around the
action plan• Create effective letters, press releases, and
presentations• Recognize volunteers and supporters• Understand communication strategies and
when to use them • Engage the media to tell the students’ story
to the community
Students Taking Charge website
Tips for School Success• Follow the Facilitator’s Guide
• Encourage all activities to support environmental change in the school– Policy changes can take time– Remember the 3P’s – Short/Mid/Long-term goals
• Use the STC website for inspiration, troubleshooting, and to share your story
• Connect with other schools in your area
Students Taking Charge Success Stories
Check out the ready-made projects for more ideas!
Questions?
Thanks for taking action for healthy kids…and youth!
www.ActionForHealthyKids.org
www.StudentsTakingCharge.org
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