About Us
Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is HealthMPowers?

HealthMPowers is a unique, coordinated initiative designed to increase health knowledge and promote health-enhancing behaviors among youth by providing state-of-the-art programming in the school setting.

HealthMPowers programs are designed to provide students with the health information, skills, resources and motivation necessary to take responsibility for their own health.  Health education lessons are presented in a memorable and interactive way helping each student build a foundation for making responsible health decisions throughout the course of his or her life.  By working in collaboration with teachers and families, HealthMPowers also helps build the supportive environment necessary for the adoption of health-enhancing behaviors.  Health promotion programs and services are provided to students, teachers and families.

 Mission

The mission of HealthMPowers is to affect behavioral change among youth that will lead to a healthier community.

 How Does HealthMPowers Work?

Students learn to adopt healthy behaviors through lessons that incorporate innovative, high-tech and engaging teaching techniques in the school classroom and in the HealthMPowers mobile classroom. The mobile classroom is a 36-foot-long semi-trailer with side expansions that open into a 500-square-foot classroom. 

The age-appropriate curriculum focuses upon the following critical areas: 

·         Nutrition and Physical Activity targeting obesity prevention.

·         Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention targeting tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse with specific information and skills on abstaining from these drugs.

·        Injury and Violence Prevention targeting unintentional and intentional injury.

·        Human Growth and Development targeting healthy relationships, maturation, unintentional pregnancy, HIV and other STD prevention.

·         General Health targeting basic health practices and personal and social skills. 

How is the HealthMPowers Program Being Delivered? 

Before the mobile classroom arrives, the classroom teachers have the opportunity to engage students in HealthMPowers lessons that have been created to ensure that students have the preliminary understanding of the content to be addressed by the HealthMPowers staff. 

Once the initial in-class sessions have taken place, the students are ready to take part in the high-tech computer lessons, hands-on demonstrations and interactive instruction that occur on-site.   Taught by HealthMPowers educators, the lessons provide a framework for the students to gain the information and skills necessary to choose health-enhancing behaviors. 

In addition to instruction about taking care of their bodies, students learn to observe, record and set health-related behavior goals, as well as learn how to make decisions regarding their health – skills that will serve them for a lifetime. 

How Does HealthMPowers Promote a Supportive Environment? 

HealthMPowers realizes that a supportive environment is necessary to instill positive health behaviors.  To help students adopt and maintain health-enhancing behaviors, HealthMPowers assists teachers, school staff and families extend the learning beyond the mobile classroom visits by: 

• Providing In-Class and School-Wide Extension Activities that teachers use to enhance teaching about health issues once HealthMPowers leaves the campus. 

•  Providing School Health Council Development, Training and Technical Assistance to help teachers and school staff assess current school health policies and programs and develop plans for continuous improvement. 

• Providing Staff Development sessions that create personal health assessments which lead to the development of a self-improvement plan.  Encouraging worksite wellness programs allows teachers and staff to maximize their own health and become role models for health-enhancing behaviors for their students. 

• Encouraging Schools to Use the HealthMPowers Resource Library which contains programs, curricula, and other teaching tools that address each school’s specific health promotion needs. 

• Providing Family Newsletters with factual and age-appropriate information regarding health issues, along with activities that families can use with their children to reinforce the adoption of health-enhancing behaviors. 

• Conducting Parent Seminars that provide a forum to discuss 1) protective factors and health risk-reduction activities that families can promote at home; 2) communicating about drugs, sex and other risky behaviors; and/or 3) the link between health and academic achievement. 

When Was HealthMPowers Inaugurated?

HealthMPowers began services for middle schools in November 2002 and for elementary schools in May 2003.  During the 2002 – 2003 school year, the HealthMPowers program served approximately 9,000 elementary and middle school students in both public and independent schools in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton and Bibb Counties, as well as Carrollton City. 

How Is the HealthMPowers Program Funded? 

As a designated 501(c)(3) organization, HealthMPowers receives its funding through a variety of sources.   Participating schools pay a nominal fee for each student participating in the program.  Each of the founding sponsors provides both direct and for in-kind annual support.  HealthMPowers also receives gifts from foundations, corporations and individuals that wish to help secure the future of the program.  HealthMPowers is always looking for new partners to join this exciting venture. 

How to Contact HealthMPowers:

HealthMPowers

1655 Tullie Circle, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30329

404.785.7251

404.785.7259 (fax)

Potential Funding Sources

There are many ways to help generate the funds necessary to provide the program at your school.  Listed below are some of the ways that current participating schools have located funds:

• Parent Teacher Association

• Safe & Drug Free Schools

• School business partners

• In-school field trip

• Public Health Department

• County Board of Education

• Local hospital systems

• Commission from water vending machines

• Conducting fundraisers: school dances, etc.