Focus areas include obesity prevention through nutrition and increased physical activity, conflict resolution, substance abuse prevention and emotional wellbeing.

See helpful links in RESOURCES tab.

MEETING NOTES (task to connect Healthy Lives/Choices with the other six topic areas)

ENVIRONMENT – Healthy food grown in school gardens can be shared with local senior centers or food banks.  Local and global environmental issues impact our health, e.g. water and air pollution.  Genetically modified food spreads internationally through imports and exports.  Using food (e.g. corn) to produce ethanol negatively impacts the ability to address world hunger.

ANIMALS – Just as we concern ourselves with quality nutrition for ourselves, we want the same for our pets.  Walking dogs provides good physical activity.  We want to preserve the health of our ocean life; overfishing and coral reef destruction can lead to a domino effect where extinction of food sources cause the demise of other species.

ELDERS – Are we ensuring quality of life for our seniors?  What are their nutrition and physical activity requirements? From a global perspective, how are we honoring and preserving indigenous knowledge and practices that can be valuable resources to help us solve current problems.

SPECIAL NEEDS – Relating to a diverse group of people falls into the category of healthy relationships.  Empathy and understanding are developed during service learning experiences.   Connecting with educational institutions, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations in other countries expands our knowledge base as well as ideas for age-appropriate programs.

SOCIAL CHANGE / SAFE COMMUNITIES – Research toxic waste; ensure people are not living near those areas.  Urban planning must include activities and parks for young people so that they have healthy choices for their free time.  Human development curriculum provides young people with the knowledge and decision making skills necessary to become productive members of their communities.  What can be done to ensure people have meaningful work — volunteering and internships as well as salaried positions?

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY – Ensure that populations at risk have the knowledge about and access to quality food, physical activity, and healthcare (physical and mental)  Students can do research about topics such as obesity, diabetes, and substance abuse in order to advocative for healthy life choices.  California’s farms depend on migrant farm workers, which is another population that may be at risk with respect to health and safety.

OTHER IDEAS

* Partner with a classroom in another country to study the same issue.  Watch the same documentary and discuss it.

* Partner with medical and pharmacy schools in creating programs for local communities.

* Partner with State and County offices of HHR (Health and Human Resources)

* Create appealing posters, banners, bulletin boards for cafeteria walls