Drew Charter School, Atlanta, GA

This troop received workshops on physical activity, healthy eating, school nutrition and park restoration. Based on their neighborhood assessment, Drew and the group leaders decided to focus on a variety of efforts and titled their project Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, and Healthy Me. Students decided to promote healthy= eating to fellow students, parents and community members after realizing how limited healthy eating options were in the community. In response, they offered food demos to students in the cafeteria and afterschool, created a menu for weekly healthy snacks and promoted it with students, teachers and parents, and adopted a farm stand to sell locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables after school. To promote healthy living, the Drew YEAH! club instituted a Community Clean-Up Day each semester in partnership with Park Pride of Atlanta. The first clean-up day was in their nearby East Lake Park, located 0.5 miles from the school. Physical fitness and mental health were great concerns for youth at Drew Charter School. In response, YEAH! hosted yoga classes for students, teachers and parents. Students organized a food drive that the entire school contributed to in support of Southwest Ecumenical Emergency Assistance Center and the Atlanta Food Bank.The YEAH! students’ activities help them transform their mindsets and live their best lives. Participating in the YEAH! events led to additional project ideas for future YEAH! teams.Glades Middle  School, Miramar, FL Awareness!! Awareness is what YEAH! brought to the students at Glades Middle School. The Glades Middle School project in Miramar, Florida, created increased appreciation for how the policies and environment around the school powerfully impacts their choices, experiences and health. Glades Middle School hosted three clubs with a total of 40 students in grades six through eight. The YEAH! students focused on the school assessment and became more conscious of the environmental and physical aspects of the school. Students presented their findings and recommendations to the principal. This led to improvements in maintenance of the school water fountains, additions to FPO FPO | YEAH! | Youth Engagement and Action for Health! 18 | Physical Activity Research Center 19 TYPICAL YEAH! SESSION Snack Activity Take and post pictures Exit ticket programming, including a morning dance class for the students, and litter pickup. YEAH! provided students with an opportunity to be mindful of their surroundings beyond the standard academic expectations. YEAH! empowered the students to be advocates for change. One student said, “The YEAH! program opened a window for the students of Glades Middle to find ways to improve their school.” The kids continue to wear their YEAH! t-shirts every Friday and are changemakers in their school!