North Carolina students spend over two thirds of the year in school, amounting to over 1,900 hours. Given this significant amount of time, it’s important that school environments support healthy habits. Creating a healthy school environment has many components, which are reflected in the Chatham County Wellness Policy (http://policy.chatham.k12.nc.us/mediawiki/index.php/Board_Policies) and Wellness Regulations (http://policy.chatham.k12.nc.us/mediawiki/index.php/Regulation_6140).

The Chatham County Schools School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), as the entity charged with planning, implementing and monitoring the School Wellness Policy and Regulation, developed Chatham Health Achievers Moving People toward Success (CHAMPS) in order to recognize schools following the Student Wellness Policy and Regulation.

Adapted from the Catawba County Healthy Schools Recognition Program developed by the Catawba Health Partners, the CHAMPS program encourages schools within Chatham County to meet eight criteria based on the Student Wellness Policy to become a CHAMPS school.

Why should your school work to be a CHAMPS School?

• Childhood overweight has reached epidemic proportions
• Childhood overweight accelerates the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, asthma, cancer, and others
• Most children spend a large portion of their day at school, and schools are a key setting in which to implement strategies to address this issue
• Providing a healthy school environment will not only influence students’ eating patterns, but will also influence families and communities
• Healthy students are better able to concentrate on their work, attend school on a regular basis and perform better in class
• Your school can make a difference by becoming a CHAMPS school!

Click here to find out more about becoming a CHAMPS School

Click here for resources for CHAMPS Schools