Keeping the Whole Child Healthy and Safe. Marge Scherer

among their employees. Although an initial wellness fair brought out 200 people its first year, the next year only 30 showed up. The district then took more drastic action by starting the current wellness program, says Hardy.

      "The whole idea is very simple—the district decided to treat adults as adults. When you look at the big picture, 70 percent of health care costs are related to lifestyle behaviors," says Hardy. "The program is completely legal and was approved by the superintendent and teachers' unions. It doesn't cost the district or taxpayers anything."

      The success of the program is evident, says Hardy, noting that a 20 percent reduction in staff absenteeism has saved county schools $3 million over six years.

      Hardy, who has been coordinating the program for three years, has beefed up the district's Wellness Program Web site (http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/wellness) with inspiring stories of teachers who have been successful with long-term weight loss, details of incentive programs to encourage gym workouts, and myriad four- to eight-week challenges to get school employees to exercise and eat healthy foods.

      Web Is Key

      "The Web site is the ticket to getting more people involved. It reminds them to do what's right for themselves," says Hardy. He has introduced a Web feature that allows employees to check their current health indicators and fee reductions online, download recipes for healthy eating, and receive health tips by e-mail.

      In the last year, 54 percent of school employees participated in voluntary programs, an increase of 50 percent over the previous year, Hardy says. A voluntary program called Back to Basics, for example, describes 12 exercises to strengthen the back, has online video demonstrations, and gives incentives, such as a chance to win a reclining chair or a one-hour massage for those who commit to doing the exercises daily for a month.

      The net effect of getting more school employees to take part in short- and long-term programs is "a cultural shift toward health," Hardy concludes. "We're holding adults accountable and getting them healthy, and we're helping borderline folks to stay out of the at-risk category."

      School administrators are now exploring how the staff wellness model might be translated into similar health education initiatives for students, Hardy says. Because the staff program prods teachers and administrators to pursue "health and wellness from the get-go," he points out, everyone is "already on board" to find ways to mirror the program's successes for the district's 60,000 students.

      Originally published in the Winter 2004 issue of Curriculum Update.