This is an Awesome Experience

Tanya Hargrave-Klein is a Registered Dietician and a nutrition coach in the Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP) in Des Moines. She began her career in health promotion and wellness more than 20 years ago, in college. She loves working with kids and being able to actually see results in the work she does.
 
Before the Healthy Schools Partnership was implemented into your school, what information if any did students receive about the importance of nutrition and physical activity? How was the information conveyed?

Before HSP was implemented, students got their information from PE teachers, health classes and sometimes from the guidance counselors.  And, there was never any new information presented to the children. Now, the curriculum is combined, new information is available and the students enjoy the program.
 
What has been the response of teachers, school administrators and other staff in your school toward the Healthy Schools Partnership program? How do they support the program? 

I have heard nothing but positive feedback from the staff and school administrators. One health teacher even said that she had never heard a lot of the information that students were learning. Teachers and staff have also been changing their behaviors and are rethinking how they eat. There have been no negative encounters.

Based on your experience do you think the integrated model used by HSP that combines nutrition education with physical education is a more effective way of teaching students about the importance of energy balance and helping them learn positive behaviors.

The energy balance message spins everything in a positive way. It’s all about choices and real life situations. Students want to make positive choices in life, and that carries over into the program. Instead of talking about fat grams they are talking about making healthy decisions. This keeps the students involved and teaches them positive behaviors.

In the context of this program how important is it for kids to have role models who help influence and guide kids choices after the program is completed?

It is very important for kids to have role models in this program. It is key for kids to know they have the support they need to make the right decisions. It is also important to keep reiterating the messages so that the kids really latch on to the concepts presented.