This month’s School Health Programs Department campaign focuses on healthy hearts, both physically and symbolically.  Students participate in activities designed to promote cardiovascular health including Jump Rope for Heart at elementary and middle schools.  High schools focus on the development of healthy relationships and decision-making skills during the week of Valentine’s Day.

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME

Asset #17-Creative Activities
Asset #18-Youth Programs

Schools can encourage students to participate in clubs, provide structured physical education activities, links to after school programs and structured activities provided by community based organizations.

Asset Building Activities

Asset #17- Encourage students to set goals to increase the amount of physical activity they do each week as well as to minimize the amount of television that they watch. Have students chart their successes and share their favorite physical activity.

Asset #17- Create a school-wide chart that illustrates the school’s physical activity success (e.g. number of students that walk to school, amount of miles that the students have run in PE class, number of reduced hours of television watching).

Asset #17- Designate a day (e.g. Fitness Friday, Wednesday Workout) when everyone in the school will do a physical activity (e.g. jump rope for 10 minutes, walk around the school 4 times, 100 jumping jacks).

Asset #17, #18- Incorporate team building and cooperative activities into P.E. lessons and After School Programs (e.g. Human Knot, Memory Ball)

Asset #18- Support students to participate in physical activities after school. Research the after school resources in your community. Connect with the Site Coordinator of the ExCEL After School Program at your site, local Child Development Centers, or check with the local Beacon Center in your neighborhood.

Other Youth Development Activities to Implement Health Awareness

Build relationships and literacy skills with students after a physical activity by allowing students to debrief the successes and challenges from games and activities. Not only can this build relationships among team members, but also encourages students to practice speaking, listening and repeating what they have learned.

Encourage students to practice using social skills during physical activities (e.g. encouragement, good sportsmanship, taking turns, accepting differences).

Dental Awareness

Learn more about Asset Building...
Learn more about Health Awareness Months...