Students Taking Charge:Youth Advancing Healthier School Policies

Angela Forfia

Students Taking Charge Program Manager

Action for Healthy Kids

If we fail to act, we endanger the future well-being of America’s youth, and, I dare say, of America itself. Our children deserve healthier learning environments—schools that promote lifelong habits of healthful eating and active lifestyles.Progress or Promises?

What’s Working for and against Healthy Schools

Three Areas of FocusImprove children’s eating habits

Three Areas of Focus

Increase children’s physical activity

Three Areas of Focus

Educate the public about the connection between health and achievement

Healthy Environment Activity

Students Taking Charge!

Students Taking Charge 2009-2011

Who is the audience for Students Taking Charge?

• High school students• Student leaders/advocates

• National Honor Society• School-based health center youth advisory council

• Mikva Challenge group• Other student organizations

• Middle school students

What are the benefits to schools?

• Develops young leaders• Youth development skills• Community service hours• Mentoring/Near peer education

• Increases student support for healthy changes

• Encourages students to be true partners in creating a healthy school

• Healthy students learn better!

What sets Students Taking Charge apart from other programs?

• Focus on environmental change• Five years of program success• Youth involvement in program

development from the beginning• Real high schools and real student

success stories• Funding for youth-led projects at the

school level

Meaningful Student InvolvementStudent-Adult Partnerships

Student-Initiated, Student-Led

Adults Initiate Action and Share Decisions with Students

Students Consulted by Adults

Students Assigned to be Involved

Tokenism

Decoration

Manipulation

Students Taking Charge

The goal of Students Taking Charge is to improve knowledge, increase self-efficacy, and promote meaningful student involvement as youth advocate for lasting changes around nutrition, physical activity, and health.

Students Taking Charge• Facilitator’s Guide: Four Modules

– Find Your Voice– Investigate Your School– Plan for Improvement– Mobilize for Change

• Students Taking Charge Website– Project Ideas– Evaluation materials– Connectivity

Facilitator’s Icons

Find Your Voice

Environmental change for students

“Students Taking Charge provides you with a step-by-step

toolkit and an interactive website to

teach you how to make your school a

place where it’s easy to be healthy!”

Find Your Voice Key Goals• Understand what a healthy school

environment means

• Define and demystify advocacy

• Figure out the difference between programs, policies, and practices

• Analyze local wellness policies

• Identify key decision makers and what matters to them

• Consider obstacles to making change

Make it Happen: Programs, Policies, and Practices (p.20-21)

Know Your Audience: Youth in Action

Investigate Your School

Investigation for students

“Before you can start advocating

for healthy changes, you

have to find out what’s going on

right now.”

Investigate Your School Key Goals

• Learn the importance of investigation• Collect information about the school• Develop an investigation approach• Overcome barriers such as lack of

administrative support• Utilize Students Taking Charge surveys• Understand the value of parents as allies• Find out about the School Health Index

Investigation Dots: Youth in Action

Make it Happen: Which investigation approach works for you? (p. 42-45)

Consider the pros/cons of…

Visual assessment Interviews with key informants Focus groups Student surveys Other surveys Whole school assessment

(recommended tool: School Health Index)

Plan for Improvement

Plan for Improvement for students

“Developing a plan of action will help

you figure out what needs to be done, who will do it, when it needs to happen, and

when you’re done!

Plan for Improvement Key Goals

• Determine specific actions to improve the school health environment

• Rank each action based on feasibility matrix

• Set short, mid, and long-term goals

• Anticipate and overcome challenges

• Tailor messaging for different audiences

• Build support for policy changes

• Develop an action plan and budget

Mobilize for Change

Mobilize for Change for students

“Every movement for social change starts with the passion of one individual who

inspires a small group of thoughtful

and dedicated people to take

action.”

Mobilize for Change Key Goals• Learn practical strategies for group work• Develop powerful messages around the

action plan• Create effective letters, press releases, and

presentations• Recognize volunteers and supporters• Understand communication strategies and

when to use them • Engage the media to tell the students’ story

to the community

Students Taking Charge website

Tips for School Success• Follow the Facilitator’s Guide

• Encourage all activities to support environmental change in the school– Policy changes can take time– Remember the 3P’s – Short/Mid/Long-term goals

• Use the STC website for inspiration, troubleshooting, and to share your story

• Connect with other schools in your area

Students Taking Charge Success Stories

Check out the ready-made projects for more ideas!

Questions?

Thanks for taking action for healthy kids…and youth!

www.ActionForHealthyKids.org

www.StudentsTakingCharge.org