My name is Rhianna Dumas. I am fifteen years old and a junior at Putnam City North High School. Throughout my time with Elevate Student Health, I have had the chance to work with two friends, Lauren Pinner and Emily Goodman. Together, we are trying to work with the schools in our district to give students access to free water, check and clean the water fountain filters more often, allow 60 minutes of physical activity per day during school hours, and increase healthy options available at lunch time.

We plan to start with a principal meeting to begin the process of recommending and implementing these goals. Following that meeting, we want to schedule a meeting with the school board, and the superintendent. We have already started taking surveys from students and teachers to get their opinions on the availability of healthy options at school and school functions. These surveys will give us data to back up what we are saying when we attend these meetings with our principal, school board and superintendent. 

So far, the campaign has taught me that patience is key. We have not achieved our goal yet, but in time, we will. The Elevate Student Health campaign has really opened my eyes to how we can improve the wellness policy since it does not include all the requirements to protect our health.

Elevate Student Health is a campaign that I want my school to get behind. I believe that we will be helping the next generation by beginning to undo the unhealthy habits that the past generations have started. To  achieve our goals, we need support from the community because school wellness policies affect the youth now and the future adults that they will become. Together, we can do it. Together, we can elevate student health!

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By: Rhianna Dumas, Putnam City North High School