SkyWell wraps up first year with talk from CEO

As the only student-led comprehensive high school wellness initiative in the area, Skyline High School’s SkyWell is forging some new territory when it comes to promoting wellness and advocating for healthy choices at school.

So when St. Joseph Mercy Health System CEO Rob Casalou offered to meet with SkyWell wellness champions and discuss issues and wellness priorities, the Class of 2016 responded with an emphatic YES!

Casalou and 18 members of the Skyline Health & Medicine Bio-Medical Science magnet program recently hosted a dynamic discussion about the wellness needs of today’s high school students. Sleep, stress and mental health, activity during the school day and nutritious cafeteria options were among the topics reviewed.

SkyWell also learned about the state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Lab used for medical training at the health center, and will explore a partnership in the 2015-16 school year for onsite hands-on projects at the health center.

The mission of SkyWell is to create and foster a campus-wide culture of wellness for every student every day.

This past year, SkyWell student leaders conducted a wellness environment survey among members of their monthly SkyWell Club, and students were vocal about wanting more nutritious and affordable food choices at the school, and promoting school-wide fitness events outside of athletics. To address stress in a positive way, students also recommended a “No Homework Day” each trimester as a way that the school could more proactively support more sleep and less stress. To continue discussion on these topics, SkyWell created an internal advisory board of teachers and administrators to review new initiatives and recommendations next year. This advisory board was ratified at the annual meeting in April.

SkyWell hopes to work with student leaders at Community High School next year to expand the initiative.

Lead teacher Jeff Bradley and students have created a new website to support ongoing communication efforts, at www.A2Skywell.com, with regular blogs and announcements.