Parkview Health - Planting Healthy Seeds

What is it?

Planting Healthy Seeds (PHS) is a nutrition and physical activity curriculum developed by Parkview Health’s Community Health Improvement Program and Healthy Living Team in partnership with Ball State University and local educators. The 18-week curriculum is designed with nine nutrition lessons and nine physical activity lessons. All lessons are set up for flexibility, allowing the educator or administrator to fit the curriculum appropriately into their schedule to best follow their well-being goals for the children. The curriculum theme was inspired by Johnny Appleseed, team mascot of the local TinCaps Minor League Baseball team. Therefore, teaching concepts in certain lessons incorporate a baseball theme as a creative way to teach students about health concepts.

The program’s goals are: (1) Participating students will increase their nutrition and physical activity knowledge determined by pre- and post-tests; and (2) Participating students will positively change their health and well-being behaviors determined by pre- and post-questionnaires.

Who is it for?

The program is designed for third- and fourth-grade students, but the information can be adjusted to appropriately introduce the information into other elementary grade levels.

Why do they do it?

Parkview Health’s mission is to improve the health of its communities. This program is one of the ways the health system reinvests resources to “plant seeds” to help make health bloom in its community. The lessons within the curriculum will help lay a foundation on which students can build their knowledge of healthy choices. Instilling healthy eating and active living habits is critical for their health and academic success at present, and it will affect their health as adults.

Impact

During the 2015-2016 school year, PHS was implemented throughout Allen County and Noble County in Northeast Indiana. Within these two counties, PHS was introduced to 55 classrooms spread throughout five school systems. Feedback from both educators and students indicates that students are learning important concepts and wanting to know more about how they can incorporate those concepts into their lives and the lives of their family members.

Contact: Kylee Bennett
Healthy Living School Program Coordinator
Telephone: 260-266-2465
Email: kylee.bennett@parkview.com