Mount Airy City Schools received NC Prevention Partners’ 2010 Prevention Excellence Award for programs that encourage wellness among students and staff in their school system.

This award was presented by NC Prevention Partners (NCPP) at an annual meeting held in Chapel Hill.

Mount Airy City Schools participates in NCPP’s Zone Health program to fight the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. One in three children in North Carolina is overweight or obese.

Mount Airy City Schools has been working to reduce this trend through efforts such as strengthening the local wellness policy to increase availability of healthy foods and beverages on campus, partnering with the local health department to track student body mass index measurements and offering kitchen and cafeteria tours to reward students for good behavior in the classroom. Mount Airy City Schools has also created wellness teams at each individual school.

“Whereas our School Health Advisory Council addresses wellness for our entire school district, establishing Zone Health groups in our schools has helped us to identify and address school specific needs,” said Elke Atkins, director of child nutrition for Mount Airy City Schools.

The Prevention Excellence Award is presented annually to individuals or organizations that contribute to making North Carolina a healthier place to live, work, and play.

“We have been so impressed by Mount Airy City Schools’ ongoing commitment to prevent obesity in their schools. Since attending the Zone Health training last year, they successfully built wellness teams in each of their schools, helped them identify wellness gaps, and initiated activities that help students and staff eat healthy and be active. Many of their efforts have focused on improving school nutrition- which is highly commendable given the political and economic challenges facing child nutrition programs in our state,” said Julie Knaack, NCPP nutrition consultant.

Mount Airy City Schools was distinguished from among 25 Zone Health teams as making significant strides in obesity prevention.

The Zone Health program works with schools to make changes that promote healthy nutrition and physical activity practices among students. GlaxoSmithKline has supported Zone Health over the past six years and recently awarded NCPP a grant to continue working with schools to fight childhood obesity over the next four years.

NCPP’s annual meeting was held on June 2 and attracted more than 250 attendees, including leaders from the health, hospital, school and business communities. The event honored standout leaders who make it easier for North Carolinians to reduce tobacco use, eat healthier and get more physical activity.

Atkins was in attendance to receive the award, along with Bryan Taylor, Mount Airy City Schools assistant superintendent, and Cathy McCluskey, school nurse.