HealthCorps, a new nutrition program, has started at Poly this year. The program arrived via a grant won by the MAPS (Medical and Paramedical Services) Academy.
The program was founded by heart surgeon and two-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa in response to the childhood obesity crisis currently occurring in the United States. It is also geared toward empowering Poly students to lead healthier and better lives.
HealthCorps is managed by Evelyn Rwema, organization coordinator, who will be working with Poly students for two years. As a coordinator, she will teach classroom lessons about fitness and healthy choices and hold lunch demonstrations showing new and healthy food.
“We plan to have many nutrition based activities, including clubs, afterschool programs, and a cooking competition in the spring between the students,” said Rwema. “All of the activities are centered around nutrition, fitness, and mental resilience.”
The program aims to increase awareness of childhood obesity and good nutrition in students so that they will inspire others to take charge of their own well-being. A club Rwema plans to start, Poly Fit, will introduce students to different ways of healthy living, explained through cooking, meditation, and exercise. For the faculty and staff, she aims to have staff wellness competitions and exercise sessions.
“We would love to get students more involved with their overall health and wellness. With the grant, there will be many opportunities for students to not only become better educated about their health but also to have hands on experiences towards healthier living overall,” said AVID teacher Danielle Sawyer.
Specific activities will provide opportunities for students to volunteer, including the Health Fair, a fair that will be held at the end of first semester. Rwema aims to have the fair be completely student run, with booths such as yoga, picking out healthy food choices, and so forth.
During second semester, Rwema explained that a goal of hers is to expand the cafeteria menu or to have healthy food alternative choices. For now, her priority is making sure that students and staff alike know about HealthCorps and its goals.
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