Unit 1 Taking Charge of Your Health and Wellness Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 30 This is called health promotion. For example, if your mother smokes, consider encouraging her to quit. Research the health risks of smoking and present the information to your mother. If your mother decides to quit smoking, support her effort. Help your family access health information. For example, if your family members have questions about a health-related topic and do not understand English, help them by researching the topic on the Internet and translating the information you find. If you are worried about a friend who is engaging in unhealthy behaviors, you can ask a school counselor how to help your friend. You might ask members of your community to help create health awareness posters. Collaborating with others can increase your personal ability to advocate for health. Your School Environment Your school environment can have a positive or a negative influence on your health. Unhealthy food and beverage choices in the cafeteria can diminish student nutrition. School counseling services can help students who struggle with their mental and emotional health. Your school environment can be influenced by initiatives and regulations on anything from banning weapons and alcohol to building speed bumps in the parking lot. Your voice or a collective group of voices has the power to change a school environment. Speaking up about your health needs and the needs of those around you is what can make you a health advocate in your community. Be a Health Advocate at School In this activity, you will create an inspiring school advocacy project for a new health initiative. To create your initiative, complete the following steps: 1. In small groups, discuss your school environment and what actions are being taken to encourage healthy students. Make a list of these positive actions. 2. Next, discuss which health needs are not currently being met at your school. Make another list of the actions not being taken to improve health and any actions that discourage healthy behavior. 3. Identify one school initiative or change that would improve the health of students. 4. Create a plan to gather student awareness and support to create this change. 5. Create a product to help raise awareness for your school advocacy project. Possible formats for this product include handmade posters, social media posts, and petitions. 6. Display your products around the classroom or school. BUILDING Your Skills HowLettery/Shutterstock.com