Tippecanoe School Corporation
TSC INtegrates wellness into its schools
Sue Scott

More TSC employees and students are embracing a healthier lifestyle through a districtwide wellness initiative called INtegrate. The program, introduced in 2016, fosters a culture of well-being that supports happier, healthier staff. In turn, employees inspire students and others in the community to make healthy choices.

Some steps taken to create the cultural shift include a personal coaching program, the installation of water bottle filling stations to encourage everyone to drink more water and providing fruit and healthier snack choices at meetings. In addition, every school has a walking path and some schools hold group exercise classes before or after school.

Student groups are also embracing the wellness program. Some schools are holding family fitness nights, wellness fairs and other activities. In December, Wea Ridge Middle School held a school-wide INtegrate day, where students participated in Zumba or Pound classes.

“The overall wellness of our students is important,” says Wea Ridge Middle School Principal Fred Roop. “We know that exercise has a profoundly positive impact on our mental and physical well-being. Each quarter this school year we are creating opportunities outside of our normal school day to get students moving.  We hope to encourage students to exercise through a variety of fun activities and that will ultimately improve their overall fitness, mental health and improve their ability to learn at school.” See what other TSC schools are doing at #TSCINtegrate.

Thirteen of our 19 schools are “All-in Schools.” This status is given to a school that finds ways to make healthy choices easier for staff and students, revises wellness policies and reallocates resources to support a culture of greater well-being.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation recognized three schools for making changes that promote healthier eating and physical activity for students and staff. Hershey Elementary School, Wyandotte Elementary School and McCutcheon High School received the 2018 National Healthy Schools Bronze Award.

“TSC has pledged to be a place where our employees and our students have real opportunities to make healthy choices in a positive work environment,” says TSC Superintendent Dr. Scott Hanback. “We are committed to being intentional in the way we think, communicate and act about health and well-being.”