Body and Mind Wellness: paving the way for Academic success

BODY AND MIND

WELLNESS: P

AVING TH

E

WAY FO

R ACADEMIC

SUCCESS

M A R G A R E T T A L K I N G T O N S C H O O L F O R Y O U N G WO M

E N L E A D E R S

SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS• Single- gender, all girls school; opened in

2008• Enrollment: 283 girls• 6th -10th grade• 62% Economically disadvantaged• State Assessment Scores:

Reading 99% Math 96% Science 99% Social Studies 99%

• Attendance 97%

SCHOOL MISSION Our mission is to empower

young women leaders through rigorous college preparatory experiences,

health awareness, commitment to service,

and personal accountability for life-long success.

WELLNESS COMPONENT OF OUR MISSION

• BMI supports our emphasis on wellness.• Provides a research-based process for

presenting a viable curriculum to our students, parents, and community.

• Enhances our partnership with Texas Tech University.

• Gives us access to TTU resources that are not available to us otherwise (personnel, expertise, professional development, curriculum and the staff to help deliver the information)

THE BODY MIND INITIATIVE• Partnership with Covenant Health Systems

and the Center for Prevention and Resiliency at Texas Tech University

• Collaborative effort to implement a prevention and intervention program that impacts childhood health and wellness within the community

• Partners with schools to present a curriculum aimed at creating healthy minds and healthy bodies

BMI MISSION To develop and improve

resilience, promote and empower self-care, and educate and support wellness in youth

BMI VISION To make a difference in

the community by creating healthy minds and bodies.

HOW ARE THE BMI MISSION AND VISION CARRIED OUT?

The BMI Program is brought to the schools by a team of TTU staff members which may include TTU faculty members, graduate and doctoral students, licensed professional counselors, registered nurses, and/or a registered dietician.

The BMI Team then carries out the BMI Initiatives which include:

• Delivering an interactive curriculum within the school system

• Providing parent support and family education• Generating evidence-based research and programming• Emphasizing community outreach

THE BMI FRAMEWORK

RESILIENCE Evidence shows that resilience

development is correlated with higher levels of physical health and lower engagement in many unhealthy behaviors. In fact, resilient children and adolescents have positive values and skills in several realms including health and physicality.

SELF-CARE When people believe they are worth

taking care of, they make better choices for themselves . Self-care enables the development of resilience and the maintenance of wellness patterns for continued, sustainable change.

WELLNESS Pre-adolescence and adolescence are

times of great physical and psychological change. These changes can affect the person’s wellness beliefs and behaviors. In addition, unbalanced eating, unhealthy exercise, and poor body image have become all too common.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

• School Curriculum• Community Enhancement

Activities• Parent and Family Support• Research

SCHOOL CURRICULUM Ten 50 minute lessons conducted over a

consecutive 10 week period in grades 6th -8th Application of information presented

encouraged throughout the week Student groups: 20 to 25 students Curriculum Topics

BMI Mission and Purpose Identity Belonging Competence Safety and Security Relationships Body Image Physical Activity Nutrition Perspective

• High School Comprehensive Wellness I – a one semester course in 9th grade that takes students through a deeper and more age appropriate study of the topics introduced in middle school

• High School Comprehensive Wellness II – and 8 week course presented in two four session blocks each semester to 10th grade students; addresses wellness issues that will be pertinent to students as they transition from high school to college.

• BMI Internship – 11th and 12th grade students participate in internship roles to serve as wellness camp coaches and seminar leaders, BMI group support sessions, peer counselors and mentors,

IMPLEMENTATION• 6th grade curriculum presented in physical

education class by the PE teacher• 7th and 8th grade curriculum is taught in core

classes by the school nurse• 9th grade Wellness I curriculum is taught for a

semester opposite Professional Communications by a certified teacher

• 10th grade Wellness II curriculum is taught during Advisory time-four consecutive weeks in the fall and four weeks in the spring by the TTU BMI staff at the Center for Resiliency and Prevention

• Internship time is scheduled as needed depending on the event or during advisory

ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES6th Grade• Be Your Own Top Chef• Miss Inner Beauty Pageant7th Grade• We Fit• Roots to Rise8th Grade• Live Safe• Express Yourself

PARENT AND FAMILY SUPPORT Designed to improve parent support by

providing resources that can help parents support and model healthy life-style choices

• 2 informational Meetings• A quarterly newsletter• Monthly support groups to lead

discussions about student issues and provide wellness recommendations

RESEARCH Students can participate in the BMI program

without participating in the research component. To be part of the research cohort and have access to the newsletters and counseling opportunities, students and parents must:

• Consent to Participate• Provide Pre and Post data – questionnaires,

weight and height information, surveys, food records, activity records, etc.

CONCLUSION• BMI for the four years the school has been opened• Partnership with TTU has enabled us to be a part

of the creation and initiation of each phase of the development of the program

• Access to staff and resources that would not have been available to us otherwise

• The programs fits perfectly with the wellness component of our school’s key principles

• Win-win for all—Talkington, TTU, Covenant, students, parents, & staff

INFORMATIONLinn Walker, RN

Program Director, Covenant Body Mind InitiativeTexas Tech University Center for Prevention and ResiliencyLubbock, [email protected]

Berta Fogerson, Principal or Julie Akeroyd, Assistant PrincipalMargaret Talkington School for Young Women LeadersLubbock ISDLubbock, [email protected] or [email protected]