“As educators across the nation grapple with challenges from historic levels of chronic absenteeism to a youth mental health crisis, America’s Healthiest Schools serve as models of resilience and determination,” Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer at Healthier Generation, said. “With support from Healthier Generation’s resources and staff, these award-winning schools are implementing best practices and policies to better serve their learning communities.”
The network of public schools has become a staple on the Alliance’s annual list. The 2020 list included 59 IDEA campuses. IDEA placed 129 campuses on the list in both 2022 and 2023. The Alliance recognizes schools that focus on physical, mental and social-emotional health of students, staff and families. Categories include but are not limited to:
- Improving nutrition and food access
- Bolstering physical education and activity
- Implementing local school wellness policy
- Strengthening social-emotional health and learning
A Rich History with IHT Heart Rate Monitors
IDEA’s use of IHT ZONE heart rate monitors dates back to 2016. IDEA wanted a tool that motivated students to improve their fitness and provided teachers and administrators with data that details what students are accomplishing. The longer the school network uses IHT’s heart rate monitors, the more students familiarize themselves with tools they are likely to use as adults.
“What’s the rationale (behind using them)?” explains IDEA North Mission PE teacher David Irizarry. “Pretty much every adult has a smartwatch or smart device. You’ve got something that you’re using to track your activity as an adult. We have the advantage to impact these students by giving them the same type of tools.”
The technology, combined with a fitness-based approach to PE class, gives students every opportunity to get into a consistent routine. Building that routine has been a 2-step process, Irizarry said.
First, teachers must develop lessons that motivate students. Second, students – with support from parents – had to want to buy in and become full participants in PE class.
“It goes back to the work that teachers put in consistently day-in and day-out through vigorous lesson planning and unit plans and relating it down to the kids’ level,” he said. “Students have been able to grasp what we’ve been teaching and put it to work.”
It’s not only about the physical work that students put in to maximize their minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. IDEA’s teachers also spend valuable class time explaining the pedagogy so that students learn how to adopt healthy patterns away from school.
“We spend time lecturing on what it is to list out a healthy workout routine or what it is to create your own meal plan and write out a plan,” Irizarry said.
Going the Extra Mile
Irizarry reinforces time and again to students that healthy living doesn’t just mean being active. His program focuses on the value of calories consumed as well as calories burned during exercise. After all, are you making healthy choices if you consume 1,000 calories in junk food after a workout that burns 400 calories?
“You have to put 2 and 2 together, right?” he said. “It’s not just exercise. If you really think about it, 80% of your body is what you eat and the other 20% is your workout. We’re trying to put the pedagogy behind that.”
Part of the pedagogy revolves around connecting with students. IDEA’s teachers do more than simply guide students through lessons and ensure they are meeting and exceeding goals. Because they make that connection, students are more willing to put in the work.
“I think a lot of it is just being vulnerable and putting themselves out there for them to see,” Irizarry said. “We’re going to get more pushback if all we do is go into class and say ‘we’re doing this and we’re doing it my way right now.’ That’s just not how we operate on our campus. We buy in to giving them a full experience, and we get the buy-in from the kids.”
Making PE Class a Bright Spot of the School Day
Across its still-growing network, IDEA has long since gotten past the old, negative stereotypical PE class that existed a generation ago. By fostering relationships with students, encouraging them to work to achieve goals and then rewarding them when they do, IDEA has created an environment where students look forward to their PE time.
“When you have coaches who support you and build those relationships, then you want to go to that class…you want to go to that gym,” Irizarry said. “No matter the day you’re having, you want to go work out. For us, it’s like the light bulb went off with our students. They smile when they see us. Yes, it’s PE but it’s vigorous and we want to go work out.”
The technology still helps. Students are familiar with the heart rate monitors and understand the feedback they receive while wearing them. More importantly, they understand that they are being assessed fairly and as long as they put forth their best effort, they’ll see the desired results.
“They trust the process and they are excited and can’t wait to put the (monitor) on,” Irizarry said. “They know we use the IHT monitors to hold everyone accountable. It’s a motivating factor to keep them going.”
IDEA also keeps students going by recognizing their hard work. Students who achieve more than 300 minutes of MVPA each semester earn Fitness Ambassador status. Each student is celebrated when they meet the goal, and that continues to motivate students to achieve.
Students Focused on a Healthier Future
As Irizarry points out, most adults have some kind of smart device to help them self-manage their fitness. He said the students recognize the value of the IHT heart rate monitors, and some are already making plans to acquire their own devices to use outside of school.
“I’ve had kids pull me to the side and say things like, ‘hey coach, this (monitor) has really motivated me to not only reach my goals while I’m here on campus, but now I’m invested…I’m saving money so I can try and get something to track my fitness outside of school,’” Irizarry said.
Feedback like that gets to Irizarry’s heart.
“For a kid to come up and say that…,” Irizarry paused. “That’s just how impactful us as coaches are to our students, and we may not realize that until we get pulled aside like that. The kids share a little of their vulnerability there, and it’s like wow.”
More importantly, Irizarry said, the students who pull him aside – whether they say it out loud or not – understand the big picture. They are focused on becoming their healthiest selves.
“You know, obesity is real; diabetes is real,” Irizarry said. “And when a kid comes up to me and says that, what they’re really saying is that they don’t want to be like the family members they see suffer with those diseases. They want to break the cycle. They want to change the narrative of their family. And it all started because of a heart rate monitor.”
Boost Student Emotional Health with IHT ZONE heart rate monitors:
