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Dr. Melanie Mitros, Ph.D. bio
Director, Strategic Community Partnerships
Dr. Mitros shared the Vitalyst strategic plan to improve well-being by addressing root causes and the broader issues that impact community health. The “Elements of a Healthy Community” wheel incorporated the key elements of the community at large that working together inspired the strategy of Vitalyst. The model incorporates access to healthcare, community safety, affordable quality housing, economic and educational opportunity, environmental quality, nutrition, community design, parks and recreation, social/cultural cohesion and justice and transportation. Indeed, as complex as this all sounds, it is the concept that “intersections” of major community impact prevent uncoordinated silos of activity. There is far too much data and result from the benefits of combining these elements into every school site to be ignored and the pandemic has simply taken what was already well documented results and turned it into a much more broadly recognized and successful strategy for us all.
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Dr. William Beverly, Ph.D. bio
Director of Behavioral Health Sciences and Counseling
"The opportunity to make a difference in students' lives is immeasurable."
His remarks provided a profound exclamation point to the entire tenor of those who spoke in the preceding panels as he discussed “being in the now” from a mental health point of view and gave a dramatic presentation on mindfulness, especially important in an epidemic when one might otherwise feel powerless to impact the massive inputs that seemingly do us and our community harm. Indeed, the explanation of mindfulness was so well received that questions continued long after the presentation.
- Resiliency was viewed as how to deal with burnout but now has become a way to navigate difficult times.
- Mindfulness is an approach to well-being and mental health.
- Distinguish and understand the areas of concern and the areas of control in your life.
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Dr. Jennifer Johnson, Ed.D. bio
Assistant Vice President
Moderator, 1st Panel
- We’re all in this together
- We are prepared and up to the challenge
- We have communicated up and down our faculty tree to ensure consistent messaging that carefully follows public health protocols and incorporates them both on and off campus.
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Dr. Crystal McCabe bio
Professor, College of Education
- GCU students are fully engaged in all actions to both make their attendance safe and healthy but to also engage others to encourage healthy choices
- GCU faculty is very united behind the scope and the impacts of public health exigencies and are better prepared than ever to continue with these “lessons learned” throughout their careers.
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Dr. Stephanie Nilsen bio
Assistant Professor
College of Education
- The health and nutrition protocols developed in response to the Pandemic impacts and readiness to resume classes planned for and are now engaging are not likely temporary, but will continue long into the future as a permanent part of their student training.
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Katie Sprute bio
Faculty Chair/Assistant Professor
College of Education
- School districts have long been considered for additional resources to promote not only student, but faculty and staff health on campus, and that day is here!
- The model for incorporating health and nutrition is not a temporary fix. It is a permanent and positive development in teacher training.
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Kavita Bernstein
Program Manager bio
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Ms. Bernstein shared a decades long strategy to deal with early childhood needs in the social/emotional landscape. Nutrition, health and safety have always been a part of their plan, but their services during the pandemic provided a keen and important resource to school sites stressed more than ever before and the results continue to be demonstrated and documented. Students that are engaged with health, safety and nutritional focus, are able to successfully engage academic achievement expectations. Unfortunately, many Arizona students, especially in some of our urban areas, lead the nation in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). Ms. Bernstein's final thought: think of the kids in the broader context of their family environment and their support systems.
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Shomari Jackson MPA
Project Coordinator bio
Mr. Jackson shared that his work, like never before, was both in demand and, at least to some extent, qualifying for additional funding. That effort is resulting in new behavioral tools getting to Arizona’s most needy children whose life experience under “normal” circumstances would have been challenging. This is especially important to consider when the South Phoenix student populations features some of the highest ACES impact in the entire country. And clearly the disproportionate impacts are manifest in low income, high crime and, tragically, unstable households. Again these challenges were made even worse by the Covid epidemic. But the good news is, the recognition for this work has never been better and is unlikely to be ignored on into the future. Mr. Jackson emphasized the importance of "cross collaboration."
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Kristina Estelle Mollner, MS, RDN bio
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Balsz Elementary School District
Ms. Mollner and Ms. Zuniga shared that not only is nutrition a key facet of every school meal they prepare, but they also make it FUN! Yes, good food that is good for you has the obvious, positive impacts on students’ academic and social performance in school, but making food fun has never been more strategic than now and the combination of documented nutrition and enjoyable eating habits and tastes is here to stay.
- Students need a voice in their eating and menu choices at school.
- Distinguish disordered eating from eating disorders.
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Kendal Zuniga bio
Arizona Marketing Manager
Ms. Mollner and Ms. Zuniga shared that not only is nutrition a key facet of every school meal they prepare, but they also make it FUN! Yes, good food that is good for you has the obvious, positive impacts on students’ academic and social performance in school, but making food fun has never been more strategic than now and the combination of documented nutrition and enjoyable eating habits and tastes is here to stay.
- Gardens provide great opportunities for socializing and experiencing the senses.
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Scott Turner, President & CEO, and Co-Founder, Healthy Future US
School Health Update, Healthy Future US
- With the encouragement of the Governor's Office, we are submitting a request for one-time federal funds to: develop a comprehensive understanding of school health in Arizona; to reduce stress & improve social-emotional health in classrooms and online with a highly-scalable mindfulness program, available at no cost to all public schools, students, staff & parents; and to improve the quality & effectiveness of physical & health education and build the capacity of the school health and physical & health educator communities.
- The Arizona School Health & Wellness Coalition has expanded its size & impact significantly during the pandemic, including providing Parent Huddles via Zoom to any Arizona parent desiring advice, support & community as they prepare for school during the pandemic. Your schools & parents are welcome to participate. (Healthy Future US helped co-found the Coalition, serves in its leadership & co-leads the Coalition Advocacy Team.)
- Progress is continuing toward bringing in >$500M/year in new sustainable money from the health sector into schools to promote better school health including more physical & health education and improving physical & mental health among students, staff & parents (Healthy Students Healthy State). This is expected to include permanent, matching funding from the legislature, the federal government, and the private sector.
- And of course all of the above contributes to higher academic achievement.
Please contact Scott Turner at Scott.Turner@HealthyFutureUS.org or 602-513-0028 for more information.
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