This year AHA’s Brains and Bodies Awards program has been expanded to include all private and public schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Schools that are working to create a healthier environment for students and staff are encouraged to apply between Jan. 11 and March 11, 2013. Winners will be recognized on  April 12 at 10 a.m. at the Wake County Public Schools Central Office, and AHA will work to have schools recognized before their Town Councils in their respective municipalities.

New for the 2013 award program is a partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The Alliance’s Healthy Schools Framework will serve as the application tool for AHA’s award. AHA will award schools at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels based on their scores in three wellness content areas:

• Policy/Systems
• Employee Wellness
• Students Wellness

In addition, schools will be required to complete an Action Plan for each of those areas. The Alliance’s online tools and resources allow schools to track their progress and see in real-time what level of award they are qualifying for in a given content area, or what steps need to be taken to reach an award level. By including Advocates for Health in Action when schools join the Alliance to work on the inventory, AHA has access to schools’ progress and can gain knowledge about areas where schools may need assistance.

AHA has awarded a number of private, charter and public schools for the last two years and we look forward to continuing to recognize the excellent work our schools are doing to make the healthy choice the easy choice at school!

Award Information Session

School staff and parents are invited to a free workshop in Thursday, Jan. 10 (10 am at Bond Park Community Center in Cary) to learn more about the awards program and how to apply. The workshop is free, but we do require pre-registration to ensure adequate seating. Schools may apply without attending the session, but we do encourage attendance for a brief introduction to the online tools and resources available to aid schools.