By MDHHS
LANSING, Mich. – As part of the Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan and in recognition of taking initiative to build healthier school environments, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Governor Rick Snyder are recognizing 55 Michigan schools for fostering healthy eating, physical activity habits, and tobacco-free lifestyles among more than 24,000 students.
“Schools are in a unique position to encourage young people to develop healthy lifestyles by providing regular opportunities for physical activity and encouraging healthy eating,” said Nick Lyon, director of MDHHS. “The Michigan schools recognized today with School Wellness Awards have gone above and beyond to create healthy environments that support lifelong healthy habits and learning.”
The Michigan School Wellness Award program is part of the Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan, and a collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan Action for Healthy Kids, and the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan Coalition. Michigan’s award-winning schools were recognized today during a special ceremony at the State Capitol.
The Michigan School Wellness Award program aims to engage schools statewide in creating healthy school environments by establishing School Wellness Teams, completing the Healthy School Action Tools, and implementing sustainable policy and environmental changes. Schools that have achieved all of these elements are recognized with the top level Gold award.
This year’s winners laud such achievements as increasing time each week that students participate in physical education, farm to school programs and engaging students to lead for healthy lifestyles. The winners of this year’s School Wellness Awards include:
Bronze
- Brookside Elementary School in Big Rapids
- Clarenceville Middle School in Livonia
- Columbia Middle School in Brooklyn
- Dudley School in Battle Creek
- Franklin School in Battle Creek
- Highland Pines School in Caro
- Lamora Park School in Battle Creek
- Lincoln Developmental Center in Grand Rapids
- Maples Elementary School in Dearborn
- Marshall Greene Middle School in Birch Run
- Myers Elementary School in Taylor
- New Haven High School
- Niji-Iro Japanese Immersion Elementary School in Livonia
- Pittsford Middle/High School in Pittsford
- Robert B. Havens Elem. School in Saginaw
- Shields Elementary School in Saginaw
- Springport Middle School in Springport
- Unionville-Sebewaing Elementary School in Unionville
- Valley View Elementary School in Springfield
- Vassar High School
- Vista Charter Academy in Wyoming
Silver
- Bendle Middle School in Burton
- Cass City Elementary School
- Clinton Elementary School in Clinton
- Covert Elementary School in Covert
- Douglas Road Elementary School in Lambertville
- Dundee Elementary School in Dundee
- East Jackson Elementary School in Jackson
- East Middle School in Plymouth
- Estabrook Elementary School in Ypsilanti
- Fairview School in Lansing
- Fancher School in Mt. Pleasant
- Glencairn School in East Lansing
- Henry North Elementary in Lansing
- Highland Elementary School
- MacDonald Middle School in East Lansing
- Marble School in East Lansing
- Minges Brook School in Battle Creek
- Northwest High School in Jackson
- Powell Middle School in Washington
- Riverside Elementary School in Battle Creek
- Rogers Early Elementary School in Allen Park
- St. Charles Elementary School in St. Charles
- Surline Elementary School in West Branch
- Surline Middle School in West Branch
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Redford
- Westlake Elementary School in Battle Creek
Gold
- Allendale Middle School
- Atherton Elementary School in Burton
- Laker Middle/High School in Pigeon
- Mt. Clemens Montessori Academy
- Prairieview School in Battle Creek
- Pullman Elementary School
- R.W. Kidder Middle School in Jackson
- White Pine Middle School in Saginaw
To apply for the program, schools provide information about nutrition, physical education/ activity, and tobacco-free practices and submit at least one success story.
To view school award winners and learn more about the School Wellness Award Program, please visit https://swa.mihealthtools.org/. For more information about the Michigan Health and Wellness 4×4 Plan, visit www.michigan.gov/healthymichigan.