7350 E. 29th Avenue #300, Denver, CO 80238
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7350 E. 29th Avenue #300, Denver, CO 80238
be well Youth is a program that engages kids, schools, and communities in creating and promoting fun activities, events, and programs to encourage healthy living among youth and their families in the be well Zone. be well Youth has 2 major initiatives: The be well Youth Block Captain program and be well School Health and Wellness Teams in Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools within the be well Zone.
To date, more than 1,700 people have been impacted by the be well Youth Program. These numbers do not include efforts facilitated by be well School Health and Wellness Teams in partnership with Denver and Aurora Public Schools.
Inclusive Classroom Training
The be well Health and Wellness Initiative is hosting a 5-week training for school communities that examines systemic racism and implicit bias in education. If you have any questions, please contact the be well School Wellness Project Manager, Meredith Fast, via email at [email protected].
Youth Block Captain Training
The be well Youth Block Captain training, is a fun, interactive 6-week healthy living training that equips children with new attitudes, skills and knowledge as it relates to health and wellness and builds their capacity to serve on the be well Youth Council. In the training, be well Youth explore community organizing and advocacy strategies that can be used as a tool to build their will to lead healthier lives and promote healthy living opportunities among their peers. Specifically, the training helps youth to eat healthy, move more, maintain a healthy heart and be comfortable in their own skin. The training also helps youth establish ways to share what they learned with their peers. All youth who complete the training are considered be well Youth Block Captain Connectors and are recognized at the Annual be well Awards and Community Celebration.
The training uses a combination of innovative and evidence-based strategies intended to motivate and engage youth as leaders in reducing the spread of childhood obesity and other preventable illnesses that impact children in the be well Zone and abroad.
Each year, new kids are nominated to participate in the be well Youth Block Captain training by their school principal, teacher, or trusted community member. Youth who complete the be well Youth Block Captain training and want to further pursue the be well Youth Program have the option of applying to join the be well Youth Council.
William Roberts Elementary for including student, family, and staff voice in Wellness Team Meetings!
Farrell B. Howell for prioritizing student mental health!
Oakland Elementary for joining our School Wellness Teams!
Monarch Montessori for student wellness enrichment classes!
Input your ideas for upcoming trainings HERE!
Pre-register for be well educator trainings HERE!
The be well Youth program is now in its 10th year of working with schools on wellness efforts and has been involved with 27 schools in Denver and Aurora since 2012.
In collaboration with two school districts, Denver and Aurora, be well assists schools with coordinating a School Wellness Team, including recruitment, meeting organization, and
structure. Each wellness team completes an assessment/inventory to learn the current “health status” of their school and is then charged with developing and executing a
roadmap to improve healthy living at their school.
In both districts be well provides resources, support, and technical assistance to the School Wellness Teams to create healthier school environments and aid in the development of the roadmap. be well also provides funds to schools via the healthy schools mini-grant program, and leverages funds for schools to carry out their activities described in their roadmaps.
In 2022, be well’s Healthy Schools Program partnered with 19 Denver and Aurora schools to establish Wellness Teams made up of students, parents, and staff. Below are just a few of this year’s projects.
We also partner with Montview Elementary in Aurora, McAuliffe International in Denver, Northfield High School in Denver, Monarch Montessori in Denver, Montbello High School in Denver, Denver School of the Arts, and High Point Academy in Aurora. We can’t wait to collaborate further with them this year!
For more information on school wellness or the Healthy Schools mini grant program, please contact Meredith Fast at [email protected].
“Our events…how much planning goes into them and then seeing how big the event ends up being.”