The mission of the CRI-CC HealthCorps Demonstration Project is to improve the long-term quality of life of Cleveland-area youth and their families through an educational experience focused on increasing understanding of the health-related implications of behavioral choices.
The CRI-CC HealthCorps Demonstration Project was launched in fall 2007 as the Cleveland-area chapter of the national HealthCorps program. HealthCorps, which was piloted in New York City and achieved positive results in its initial pilot phase, empowers high school students to become educated consumers and community health advocates, and to make shifts in behavior that may be measured by changes in diet, physical fitness, emotional resilience, and self-esteem. HealthCorps also educates young people about the relationships among the Mind and Body connection; the Chemistry of Emotions; and the Science of Energy. With a format similar to the Peace Corps, HealthCorps trains HealthCorps Coordinators to teach the HealthCorps curriculum for two years in a high school. Coordinators, many of whom are recent college graduates interested in health-related fields, receive a stipend.
In 2007, CC began planning and laying the groundwork to bring HealthCorps to the Cleveland area through discussions with local education leaders. This step was important in part because the HealthCorps Demonstration Project supports Ohio schools with Federal and State wellness compliance; specifically Section 204 of Public Law 108-265 (6/30/04) – the "Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004" and Ohio Local Wellness Policy ("LWP").
Today, two HealthCorps Coordinators are educating high-school youth in two underserved Cleveland high schools: John F. Kennedy and John Marshall. The Cleveland HealthCorps Coordinators work in the schools full time, delivering the HealthCorps curriculum and serving as mentors to the students. The Cleveland HealthCorps Coordinators' experience is enhanced by opportunities to interact with the CC public health team and CRI staff through regular meetings.
Potential next steps: As part of the national HealthCorps program, the effectiveness of CRI-CC demonstration project will continue to be evaluated.
Partnership Photographs:
Yoga
John Marshall High School students try a number of yoga poses at the “Marshall Lumberjack” Health Fair. (December 10, 2009, Cleveland, Ohio)
Students Participating
The “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” Health Fair at John F. Kennedy High School offered 14 student run booths about various health topics as well as booths from 5 local health organizations. Over 500 students and 30 teachers attended this event. (December 11, 2009, Cleveland, Ohio)
Stretching
The Cleveland Clinic Department of Sports Medicine provided information to students about proper stretching and exercise. A student is getting her flexibility tested with the help of a sports medicine professional (left) and classroom teacher (right). (December 11, 2009, Cleveland, Ohio)
Mehmet Oz, M.D., HealthCorps founder and chairman, center, and Michelle Bouchard, HealthCorps president, left, speak with Christine Sardo, M.P.H., R.D., Canyon Ranch Institute partnerships and policies director, at the HealthCorps training kick-off event in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City on July 6, 2009. HealthCorps coordinators are deployed to high schools across the country as full-time health educators and mentors on topics related to nutrition, physical fitness, and mental resiliency. (July 6, 2009, Washington Heights, New York)
The HealthCorps Demonstration Project celebrated the “Highway to Health Fair and Festival” at John Marshall High School. The health fair promoted awareness about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, especially nutrition, fitness, and mental resiliency as highlighted in the HealthCorps curriculum. With over 800 visitors, the health fair offered student-run educational booths and cooking demonstrations in addition to cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. At other booths, Cleveland Clinic physicians and other health professionals from the Cleveland Clinic spoke with the health fair visitors about health and well-being. Music, sports contests, and other activities were also featured, as well as healthy food samples and health-related gifts. (June 5, 2009, Cleveland, Ohio)
HealthCorps Coordinators Jessica Leslie (left, red shirt), the coordinator at John F. Kennedy High School, and Melissa Jennings (center, red shirt), the coordinator at John Marshall High School, prepare to start the “Highway to Health Fair and Festival” with students who are participating in the HealthCorps Demonstration Project. (June 5, 2009, Cleveland, Ohio)
HealthCorps Coordinator Melissa Jennings discussed with 9th grade students at John Marshall High School how breakfast can impact a person's overall health and well-being. Later in the lesson, Melissa and her students calculated how much sugar is in a serving of popular cereal brands. By learning about nutrition within the context of their math class, students discover that they already have knowledge to make healthy choices. (October 9, 2008, Cleveland, Ohio)
HealthCorps Coordinator Jessica Leslie used food and nutrition as the focus for her history lesson plan at John F. Kennedy High School. By planning an interactive and discussion-based lesson, Jessica engaged her students in the learning process. (October 9, 2008, Cleveland, Ohio)
Partnership Resources:
- Click here to visit the Cleveland Clinic website.
- Click here to visit the HealthCorps website.
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