State representative promotes Project Healthy Schools

State Rep. Jeff Noble visited East Middle School in Plymouth, Michigan last week to learn more about Project Healthy Schools — a community-Michigan Medicine collaborative designed to improve the present and future health of youth through school-based education, environmental initiatives and engagement of the school community.

“We had a great conversation about the PHS program and discussed other opportunities for education reform within our Michigan schools,” said Ben Ransier, curriculum and training coordinator for Project Healthy Schools.

“This program is an excellent tool for students and teachers to learn about healthy habits inside and outside the classroom,” Rep. Noble said. “Visiting East Middle School was a great experience. I look forward to sharing the information I learned about Project Healthy Schools with my colleagues in Lansing.”

Rep. Noble met with Elizabeth Mosher, director of education for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, Christopher Marek, assistant principal of East Middle School, Scott Burek, principal of East Middle School and Ben Ransier, curriculum and training coordinator for Project Healthy Schools.

Through PHS, students are encouraged to exercise more, eat healthier and spend less time watching TV and playing video games. It is one of a few school-based programs that have demonstrated significant improvements in health behavior and cardiovascular risk factors, such as reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), triglycerides and blood pressure.

Click here to learn more about Project Healthy Schools.