Win With Wellness

NCYL's "Win With Wellness" program provides the opportunity for local high school juniors to develop leadership skills through the education and promotion of healthy lifestyle choices.

Win With Wellness is held throughout the school year. As a hands-on program, it teaches the leaders of tomorrow how to design, develop and implement wellness programs in their own schools.

Twelve juniors, two seniors and two faculty advisors and/or parents work together as a team with local hospitals and community colleges to create wellness programs. The six focus areas of the program are:

* Chemical Free Living

* Positive Self Concept

* Physical Fitness

* Safety

* Nutrition

* Enviroment

Selected youth attend a leadership seminar to learn wellness topics and new leadership skills. They then put their new knowledge and skills into practice by forming Leadership Teams in their schools. The Win With Wellness teams are responsible for selecting, designing and implementing health promotion activities in their schools. Teams demonstrating an outstanding effort during the program are recognized with an Award of Excellence.

As they develop their schools' wellness program, youth work with a variety of community health and hospital organizations. They work with youth on program development, organization skills, how to meet deadlines, make focused presentations, build their leadership skills, capabilities and ability to contribute.

Eastern Iowa Chapter - Cedar Rapids / Iowa City - Greg Stokes is the part-time Win With Wellness director. St. Lukes Hospital, Kirkwood Community College and Children's Hospital of the University of Iowa all co-sponsor the program with the local NCYL chapter. Seventeen area schools participate in the local Win With Wellness program and thousands of people were impacted by the program.

National Council On Youth Leadership