Healthy Families, Healthy Virginia

Blog Post

Healthy Families, Healthy Virginia

March 10, 2020

Healthy families make for a healthy Virginia! When schools and families work together, young people have better health outcomes, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills,1 whichprepare them to become successful community leaders.

The state of Virginia is filled with visionary school leaders that are partnering with families and their community to support the shared goal of developing healthy environments for all. For example, Lovettsville Elementary School (LES), in northern Virginia, is a 3-time National Healthy Schools Award Winner from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and offers a variety of opportunities for families to engage in fun, healthy activities together. Lovettsville students created their own healthy smoothie recipes and distributed samples to families attending an event at the school over the weekend. Additionally, LES participates every year in Active Schools’ Take Your Parent to PE Week, which they tout as a “very successful event.” Hugh Brockway, a Physical Education teacher at LES, described the positive impact this event has on his students and their families:

“As the PE teacher, I plan lessons that allow for lots of parent participation and fun! I also use the opportunity to show parents how much PE has changed for the better since they may have been in school. They are so pleased to see that all students are active and engaged, playing and moving to have fun, learning ways to be healthy and learning about why exercise and movement are important. I have also formed relationships with many parents that I did not know previously. Now, those parents are regular volunteers at school and in PE class. The same parents are sharing their experiences with other parents which creates such positivity for our school and PE program.”

Hugh also noted that 95% of the PE classes taught during Take Your Parent to PE Week (49 classes) had family members participating. By modeling ideas like these, Lovettsville Elementary is a wellness leader in their community and is already seeing the growing, positive impact their initiatives are having on students and their families.

Many Virginia parents are also taking action to complement school healthy eating and active living efforts. You can join them too! The following are suggestions to get started:

  • Enjoy meals as a family: Sharing meals with loved ones comes with several benefits for children and adults, including improved nutrition, increased family bonding, and better mental health.2,3 Parents and caregivers can facilitate family fun during mealtime by trying the following activities:
  • Have some fun conversation starters on hand to try out during the meal (e.g., If you had one superpower, what would it be and why? What’s something new you want to learn? For more ideas, see Making the Most of Mealtimes)
  • Decorate and discuss your own placemats with pictures, stickers, etc. that represent your ‘2020 Vision Board’ of hopes, goals, and inspiration for the year!
  • Support healthy practices in schools and out-of-school time programs: There are several ways families and community members can get involved where their children spend time learning and playing. Whether at school, an afterschool program, or summer camp, here are some ways adults can encourage connections and healthy practices for youth:
    • Join a wellness committee – ask your child’s school principal or program leader for information on what already exists and how you can get involved
    • Pack healthy lunches and include a note of encouragement to brighten a child’s day! (Need simple, healthy lunch ideas? Check out Lunch for the Win)
  • Be a visionary in your community: You can be a super [role] model in your community and lead by example! Share your success stories (no matter how small) to inspire and support others who may have the interest but need specific ideas from people who have walked in their shoes. And don’t forget to celebrate your successes with us on Twitter at @HealthierGen using the hashtag #KohlsHealthyAtHome!

By bringing people together in support of these and other local wellness initiatives, your community can be proud of healthier students, families, and an overall healthier Virginia and advance the goals in the Action Plan for a Healthy Virginia. For even more resources and ideas, visit the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s family engagement hub, created in partnership with Kohl’s for the new Healthy at Home initiative.

Contributors:

Katie Hodgin, Family Engagement National Advisor

Daniel Hatcher, Director of Community Partnerships

 Kayla Bowman, Family Engagement Manager

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Parent engagement in schools. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/parent_engagement.htm
  2. Dwyer, L., Oh, A., Patrick, H., & Hennessy, E. (2015). Promoting family meals: A review of existing interventions and opportunities for future research. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 6, 115.
  3. Utter, J., Larson, N., Berge, J. M., Eisenberg, M. E., Fulkerson, J. A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2018). Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing. Preventive Medicine, 113, 7-12.