Project Healthy Schools (PHS) provides a school-based health education program for middle schools across the state of Michigan to reduce childhood obesity and improve cardiovascular health. Focusing primarily on fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students, PHS aims to promote healthy students, staff, and surrounding communities by:
- teaching youth healthy habits
- developing healthy school environments
- creating an infrastructure that supports program sustainability and long-term health behavior change
PHS has been encouraging healthy habits in youth through education, environmental change, and measurement for the past 20 years. Since 2004, PHS has partnered with 175 schools, educated 171,500 students, and impacted 58 counties across the state of Michigan. PHS stands out from similar programs because of its evaluation results, significant community partnerships, and continual year-to-year support of partner schools once they join the program. In addition, the PHS hands-on health lessons and socio-ecological model, which engages the entire school community, make it a very effective, sustainable approach to impacting children’s health, both now and into adulthood.