By

DJ Riggs,   Ben Johnson Elementary School

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Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Physical Activity Participation, Student Leadership,  Teamwork

We have started a Get Fit...Get Active Student Technology Leadership Team this year at BJES. Our group is using the Fuel Up to Play 60 and NFL Play 60 programs as the base of this project. We are also adding other aspects to our STLP Showcase. We have planned and implemented a 5K for our school already. Some kids have talked about doing another 5K for charity and possibly a running/training group. We plan to create and share healthy eating and physical activity videos to our school website. Community play days are being planned as well as a Community Wellness Day with different physical activities. Our school partakes in brain breaks during the school day. If we receive Funds, we look to purchase group Wii systems so that we can use them for brain breaks, before and after school clubs, and incentives. We also plan to offer healthy snacking at school and healthy food sampling at school. Our group is also planning a healthy newsletter that can be distributed and seen online. Our Get Fit...Get Active STLP group went to Western Kentucky University to present our project at regional competition. We qualified for state and will present our complete project in April at Rupp Arena. The attached picture is our Get Fit...Get Active Presentation Board the STLP Group presented at regional competition.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

I was the Program Advisor and STLP group leader and the students did all the work. I just oversaw the group, provided resources, and actually typed in and submitted the grant with their ideas and decisions.

How did you accomplish your goals?

The students in the group are working towards reaching their goals. They tell me what they want to do for the project and I help find them the resources they need to accomplish what they are doing.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

One problem we have faced is everyone being so busy and finding the time to meet. In January, many of the present afterschool activities will be over and will give us the days we need to meet after school and work on our wellness project.