On August 20, Project Healthy Schools won the Governor’s Fitness Award in the Extraordinary Organization category. Presented by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports and the Michigan Fitness Foundation, the Governor’s Fitness Awards recognize communities, organizations, and individuals who inspire people to eat healthy and move more where they live, work and play.

The Extraordinary Organization award honors organizations with an extraordinary record of giving and stewardship that focuses on improving the environment where people live, learn, work, pray and play.

Project Healthy Schools (PHS) is a sub-group of MHealthy and a Community-University of Michigan collaboration. The program is designed to reduce childhood obesity and improve the current and future health of Michigan’s youth.  PHS enables middle school students to increase physical activity, eat healthier, and understand how nutrition and activity influence their lifelong health. 

Students participating in PHS educational lessons and wellness initiatives demonstrate significant and lasting improvements in health behavior and cardiovascular risk factors. Once implemented in a school, the program continues year after year, benefiting future generations of students.

Project Healthy Schools was one of three finalists for the award announced in March, just before the start of the pandemic.  The awards gala, originally scheduled for April 23, was rescheduled for August 20 as a virtual awards celebration. Watch the virtual awards presentation video. The Extraordinary Organization award presentation is at the very beginning of the video.