401. Workplace Wellness: Getting Started – Clancy Cash Harrison, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.

The workshop will be an interactive PowerPoint presentation divided into two parts. The program will focus on Steps To A HealthierPA Luzerne County’s workplace wellness toolkit as a successful example. The first part of the presentation will discuss Workplace Wellness as a community initiative. The workshop will teach participants how to organize a community planning committee and launch a wellness initiative. The second part of the program will discuss workplace wellness at a local level. We will discuss the definition of policy change in the workplace and evidence based programming.

402. How Schools Can Improve Adolescent Sexual Health – Joe Fay, M.A.

Improving adolescent sexual health involves the prevention of pregnancy, disease, and abuse. It also requires the promotion of positive attitudes about identity, relationships, intimacy, and responsibility. This workshop will explore how all facets of a school system (administration, staff, students, parents and community) can work cooperatively to develop a comprehensive approach to promoting adolescent sexual health. We will discuss the components of a comprehensive program, of which the sexuality education curriculum is just one part. We will also discuss how to implement a science-based curriculum. Finally, we will explore the barriers to success and how to overcome them, how to manage controversy and where to go for help. Examples of PA schools that have made progress will be shared.

403. Coordinated School Health & the Role of Technology: A Pennsylvania Model for Success – Martha L. Harris, B.A., M.P.A., CEM

This session will highlight a web-based portal enabling best-practice approaches to promoting student wellness and achievement, based on the Coordinated School Health Model developed by the CDC. It includes validated, research-based parent and youth curriculum modules developed by national partners and features interactive tools for users to develop strategies to reduce obesity and promote health. There will be a demonstration of the portal, showcasing customizable forms, fitness and health assessments, handheld computers, and other resources available to educators and administrators. As the program is currently utilized in more than 135 Pennsylvania school districts, examples of successful implementation will be provided.

404. NIA Movement-Through Movement We Find Health – Laura Reyka, R.N.

NIA is a body-mind-spirit fitness practice for all ages. No experience necessary. Through gentle fun, expressive movement with music—the body’s way—NIA empowers you to achieve physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Please bring a mat or a towel.

405. Schools and Families: Optimizing Children’s Learning Potentials and Mental Health – Matthew Brelsford M.Ed., and Gina Brelsford, Ph.D.

This workshop will focus on practical strategies for facilitating optimal learning and mental health for school age children and adolescents. These strategies will be grounded in psychological and learning theories and focused on the interaction between two essential subsystems in a child’s environment (e.g., families and school). Strategies within the home and the school will be highlighted with a special focus on collaboration between school personnel, families and mental health providers.