Kids care about a lot these days: the environment, their health and the wellness of others. What happens when a group of Michigan students get together and start talking about how they can make a difference on these issues in their schools? BIG THINGS!
Through Fuel Up to Play 60, students are taking charge of their health and encouraging action to improve nutrition and physical activity at their school. Oakman Elementary, a highly active Fuel Up to Play 60 school and home to Student Ambassador Afnan Hassan, is keeping students fueled up by encouraging participation in the healthy meals provided at school. Students are brainstorming new and innovative ways to encourage consumption of foods provided in the school lunch line, like low fat milk, with their newest campaign. They also have a focus on reusing materials and repurposing milk cartons from the school cafeteria to build creative and beautiful displays of art – all while learning the importance of recycling and reusing products to save energy, reduce waste and preserve resources to protect the Earth.
And what about the "Play 60" in Fuel Up to Play 60? Oakman Elementary students start their day with morning exercises to get some activity in before instruction time begins. They've also painted stencils on the playground blacktop to promote positive nutrition messaging and for more activities to keep moving.
Other schools in Dearborn, like Nowlin Elementary, are catching on and started a healthy kids club that meets every other week. Designing posters and encouraging their peers to get healthy has been the launch pad for their Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
Not only are these students taking strides to build lifelong healthy habits, they are having fun too. Rewarded by Michigan Dairy Farmers for their participation in the program, Dearborn Public Schools' students were recognized on the field prior to kick off on the Sunday, December 15 Detroit Lions game versus Tampa Bay. They enjoyed time with special guests, like Detroit Lions Running back Ty Johnson and Detroit Lions mascot Roary, and were able to share their program with football fans through an on-field interview. One of our Student Ambassadors, Afnan Hassan, was also greeted by a familiar face when a Detroit Lions alumni player remembered her from the 2019 National Summit (Cleveland, Ohio, July 2019).
Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to be flexible and encourages students to lead healthy changes in their school. Any Fuel Up to Play 60 school you walk into is likely doing something different – designed by the student leaders in that building which makes the program great! Enroll your school in Fuel Up to Play 60 by visiting www.FuelUptoPlay60.com today!
