Indianola Middle School – Indianola, IA « Back

Indianola Middle School has quickly made its mark on the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. The school’s Wellness Committee – made up of students from each grade level – makes decisions about which Fuel Up to Play 60 program initiatives to implement, and earned the distinction of Touchdown School just a few short months after beginning their participation in the program.

The Wellness Committee is well-supported by administrators, teachers, community members, parents, and other students, as well as professors and students from the local college. Two of the team’s primary objectives for improving health and wellness in their community include reaching out to both students and parents about the importance of eating breakfast, and educating their peers about the importance of physical activity.

Indianola students have also gotten serious about physical activity, participating in Fuel Up to Play 60’s Physical Activity Skit Challenge. They displayed their efforts to get active through their Walk It! Club video. This popular new club convenes during the school’s regular morning open gym time. In its inaugural year, participation at open gym skyrocketed from just 15-20 students per morning to 50-75 students. Students have started to forgo their typical bus routes and ask their parents for a ride to school to allow for additional walking time. Several area college professors are assisting with the school’s efforts, and as a result, the Fuel Up to Play 60 program advisors are now tapping college students to help supervise open gym time so that it can be available more often.

Both the Grab-n-Go breakfast program and the open gym sessions were recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama when she visited Iowa to celebrate the first anniversary of her ‘Let’s Move’ campaign. The Wellness Committee, under the guidance of Indianola Middle School Health Teacher Penney Arey was one of only 12 schools throughout the state who earned a trip to Iowa’s Game Day Rewards Summit for top performing schools in the program. Future plans that’ll help enhance Fuel Up to Play 60 program efforts at Indianola include opening a new field house that will accommodate more students.