From running drills to fun fitness challenges, nearly 350 middle school students got moving and helped Project Healthy Schools (PHS) wrap up its 20th anniversary at Michigan Stadium. 

Hosted by PHS and U-M Athletics, the April 24 "Maize & Blue Healthy U" event invited students from five PHS schools for a morning of physical movement and fun at the Big House. Students ran, rolled, danced, threw passes, played nutrition-related games and found joy in moving their bodies.

The celebration was also supported by MHealthy staff, dozens of U-M student-athletes, Dr. Rebecca Hasson, Associate Professor of Movement Science and Director of the Childhood Disparities Research Laboratory (CDRL) at the U-M School of Kinesiology, and her students.

Partner programs, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the Michigan Apple Committee, Meijer and Therapaws of Michigan, sponsored the event and were on-site to support the day’s wellness activities. It was a perfect collaborative and celebratory event to close out the 2024-2025 school year, in alignment with the 20th anniversary of the Project Healthy Schools program. 

Project Healthy Schools is a community-University of Michigan collaborative and evidence-based program that aims to improve the current and future health of Michigan’s youth. A subset of MHealthy, PHS enables middle school students to increase physical activity, eat healthier, and understand how nutrition and activity influence their lifelong health. The PHS program has been implemented in 167 schools, educated 155,500 students and impacted 56 counties across the state of Michigan since 2004. 

For more information about Project Healthy Schools, visit the website. 

Photos from the April 24 "Maize & Blue Healthy U" event