Neshannock Uses Highmark Super+School Challenge Grant
to Fight Obesity
Neshannock High School is continuing its fight against childhood obesity. For the third year in a row, it's getting a hand from the Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative.
Neshannock is one of thirteen schools across Pennsylvania to receive a Super+School Challenge grant from the Highmark Foundation. The school's award of $50,000 is the third such grant that its Human Performance Exercise Science Department has received in the last three consecutive years, making a total of $70,000.
"Neshannock has implemented long-lasting and effective changes that show their students are making better nutritional choices and are more physically engaged," Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook said. "We want Neshannock to act as a best practice example to others by providing leadership and outcomes other schools can emulate."
The grant will provide funding for the use and manipulation of wellness equipment by transforming the existing weight room into a wellness room. Some of the measurable outcomes the Human Performance Exercise Science Department will expect to see include improvements in the endurance, strength and flexibility in student fitness levels; increases in the minutes per week that students engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity over an extended period of time; and positive changes in eating habits through available nutritional choices.
"With the increase in exercise and nutritional study, we hope to see an overall reduction in the student's personal profile measurements (body mass index, waist circumference, and percentage of body fat) while increasing knowledge about exercise and nutritional choices," said Dave Bowen, the department's chairman.
Tracking will be provided by the use of heart rate monitors and self assessments through FitStats web software. Students will track and record their resting, exertion, recovery heart rate and perceived exertion for each cardiovascular exercise they perform, then compare and contrast their data, looking for improvement over time.
All students will be provided with nutrition education intented to teach, encourage and support lifelong healthy lifestyles, thereby linking nutrition education to lifelong physical well-being.
Additional time for exercise will be provided during the activity period after and during Community Nights in the evenings. Student and parent surveys will be completed to track improvements and changes in eating habits.
