Sonora Elementary School is Blue Zones Project Approved!
Blue Zones Project Tuolumne County is excited to acknowledge Sonora Elementary School was awarded its Blue Zones Project School Approval on October 9!
Gemi Battle, BZP Organization Lead stated, “Schools play a key role in Blue Zones Project by creating an environment that teaches healthy lifestyle choices today and for years to come. School leaders are in a powerful position to dramatically improve students’ well- being!”
The school reviewed the BZP recommendation on research-based strategies on Policies and Programming and documented the ways they were committed to pursue future good health measures for the students.
Some of the amazing Pledge items Sonora Elementary pursued were:
• The school started a Wellness committee, “The Pounce Pack”, comprised of teachers and staff led by Associate Principal Kristie Quinn
• The Pounce Pack worked with BZP Tuolumne County to have a Walking School Bus during the summer school session on the school’s Olympic Day
• At the school’s Back to School Night, BZP Attended and sponsored the food demonstration provided by the school cafeteria staff featuring one of the delicious cafeteria recipes: Asian Noodle salad and had fruit and veggie cups for parents and students to try
• Installed BZP-themed posters at the school 5 new hydration stations encouraging students to drink more water
• The school cafeteria, led by Cafeteria Manager, Shanan Gonzales, created a Farmers Market Day where students had the opportunity to meet and be educated by a local farmer, and were encouraged to try the varieties of fruits and vegetables he brought! BZP supported this day by supplying all the students with water bottles!
Kristie Quinn, Associate Principal stated, “We have been thrilled to work with the Blue Zones Project toward our school site validation and are excited to be the first in the County! Our Bobcats’ awareness of health and well-being is at the forefront of this mission. We are looking forward to continued partnership with BZP to explore and grow our students’ exposure to educate and empower them to make healthy choices, leading to an improved lifestyle, both at and away from school.”
Sonora Elementary School is leading the way to healthier schools for our county. This influences the students, staff and their families and helps make healthier choices easier.
The school is also working on becoming a BZP Approved Worksite.
A celebration for the school will be announced soon!
About Blue Zones Project®
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Blue Zones Project is based on research by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. The Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Blue Zones launched the first pilot community in 2009 in Albert Lea, MN with groundbreaking results. In partnership with Sharecare, the model has since been applied to more than 70 communities across North America, impacting more than 4.35 million citizens. The population health solution includes two Health Districts in California; 15 cities in Iowa; the city of Fort Worth, Texas; Corry, Pennsylvania; Brevard, North Carolina; Walla Walla Valley, Washington; and communities in Southwest Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.bluezonesproject.com.
About Blue Zones Project-Tuolumne County
Blue Zones Project® is brought to Tuolumne County through an innovative sponsorship with Adventist Health and Blue Zones, LLC. Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii, as well as others across the U.S. through its Blue Zones® organization, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. Through this work and other initiatives, Adventist Health is leading a 21st century well-being transformation movement.
