More Physical Activity Opportunities at Utica City Schools

Utica City School District
Utica, New York
Oneida County (Central North Zone)
Central New York

9,500+ students

 

Issue

Obesity has tripled among teenagers and doubled among children 6 – 11 years old in the last 20 years. Students are becoming more sedentary and exhibit poor eating habits. Obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. Diets high in saturated fat, excess calories and sodium can contribute to the development of chronic diseases.

 

Method

The Healthy Schools Leadership Institute (HSLI) is a five-year, professional development program that focuses on building organizational capacity for healthier schools; effectively advocating for healthier schools; using assessment strategies to evaluate the school environment; leading and motivating others responsible for school health promotion; managing coordination of healthier schools; and, soliciting resources for this initiative. HSLI recruits schools to participate in the initiative. The Utica City School District is one of nineteen that the HSLI has worked with since 2005.

Utica City SD joined the HSLI in the spring of 2005. The district began by completing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index (SHI), a self-assessment and planning tool to improve health and safety, in each of thirteen buildings within the district. Each school building also completed a school health improvement plan based on the results of the SHI.

 

Impact

Since 2005, Utica City SD:

Established a district-wide wellness committee, which includes representatives from each building-level wellness team;
Developed a wellness policy that is updated annually;
Enforced healthy fundraising district-wide and removed pizza sales and candy fundraisers;
Advocated for healthier school environments in each building within the district;
Established a Wellness Coordinator position with a board-approved job description; and
Received a Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant of $436,600 in 2007 to improve physical activity offerings district-wide. This grant has provided a sportwall, a climbing wall, snowshoes, pedometers, heart rate monitors, elliptical machines, adapted physical education equipment, My Station PE, and a DDR (Dance, Dance Revolution machine). The PEP grant also provided staff development for physical education teachers, helped implement intramurals, and Project Adventure.

In addition, each individual school has its own way of improving the health of their students and staff. For more information, view the website www.uticaschools.org.

 

Importance of Impact

Healthy school environments allow students to establish healthy habits that last a lifetime and encourage faculty and staff to be healthier, too. Utica City SD recognizes this by involving students and staff in the process and providing them with the tools needed to improve their environment.

 

Keys to Success

Supportive and strong administrative leaders are an important piece to making change happen in a larger district. In addition, keeping those involved motivated, by celebrating successes and tracking progress on yearly action planning helps. Finally, completing the School Health Index was critical to the Utica City SD. It provided baseline data for the PEP grant and also helped Utica to gain smaller mini-grants.

 

Future Plans

In the next five years, Utica City SD plans to revisit the SHI in all buildings within the district to show progress. The also plan to ensure a K-12 comprehensive health and physical education curriculum is in place. Finally, they would like to have the Wellness Coordinator position reinstated in the school district budget.

 

Words of Wisdom: "Keep working through the adversities you will face. We are nothing without our health." Thomas Jefferson

 

For more information about health and wellness at Utica City School District, contact:

Marty Nemecek, Director of Health,

Physical Education, and Athletics

Utica City School District

115 Mohawk Street

Utica, NY 13501

Phone: 315.792.2248

E-Mail: mnemeck@uticaschools.org

 

For information about the Healthy Schools Leadership Institute, contact:

Stephanie Gray, Program Director

Healthy Schools Leadership Institute

NYS Association for Health,

Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Phone: 518.568.5764

E-mail: sgray@nysahperd.org