October 28, 2006

Michigan high school students gathered today at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek for the first-ever Michigan Steps Up Youth Leadership & Advocacy Summit hosted by Michigan Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom and Lakeview School District as part of a statewide initiative to create healthier schools and healthier communities.

"Students and teachers spend much of their day at school and should have a healthy environment in which to learn and work," said Wisdom. "While many schools around the state have already taken steps toward a healthier school environment, today is the start of something even bigger for our state."

Teams of students in grades 9-12 from high schools around the state assembled to learn about making a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle and becoming advocates for environmental and policy change in their schools to support healthy lifestyles. They spent the afternoon creating a healthy school action plan to implement in their school during the 2006-2007 school year, addressing physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, and/or tobacco-use or exposure to secondhand smoke.

Wisdom and Lakeview School District Superintendent Cindy S. Ruble are optimistic that this pilot program will be replicated year after year in different regions around Michigan and perhaps nationally. They believe that this program will motivate youth to demand and play a key role in creating healthier schools.

"You can feel the energy and excitement as students realize their potential for leading community change," Ruble said. "What a tremendous experience for our youth as they carry forward the quest for a healthier Michigan."

The following schools, districts, and school-based organizations were represented at the Summit:

· Albion High School

· Arts Academy in the Woods (Fraser)

· Battle Creek Area Math & Science Center

· Britton-Macon Area Schools

· Cass Technical High School (Detroit)

· Central High School (Grand Rapids)

· Dakota High School (Macomb)

· Denby Tech & Prep High School (Detroit)

· Detroit Public Schools

· Detroit School of Arts

· Eaton Academy (Eastpointe)

· Finney High School (Detroit)

· Golightly Educational Center (Detroit)

· Grosse Pointe North High School (Grosse Pointe Woods)

· Harper Creek Community Schools · Harper Woods High School

· Lakeview School District

· Marshall High School

· Michigan Parent, Teacher, Student Association

· Michigan State University Extension

· Novi Community Schools

· Olivet High School

· Pennfield Schools

· Renaissance High School (Detroit)

· Southeastern High School (Detroit)

· Traverse City West High School

· University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy

· Warren Mott High School (Warren)

· William E. Miller School (Farmington Hills)

Keynote speakers Dr. Ronald Davis, President-Elect of the American Medical Association, and Dr. David Katz, Director of the Yale Prevention Research Center and ABC News and O, The Oprah Magazine Contributor spoke about the nation's growing obesity epidemic, tobacco use and the importance of prevention. Michigan's First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern moderated a leadership, advocacy, grassroots action and health professions panel. State Senator Mark Schauer; Mayor Michael Sessions of Hillsdale; Dr. Mahesh Karamchandani, a Battle Creek physician and school board member; and Miss Calhoun County Kristine Crummel. Other event highlights included student presentations; activities led by City Year Detroit corps members, and an evening lock-in at Full Blast Entertainment Center courtesy of the City of Battle Creek.

Michigan Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom was appointed in 2003 by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. Wisdom launched the Michigan Steps Up healthy lifestyles initiative in 2004 after identifying healthy lifestyle promotion and disease prevention as the State's top strategic priority in the Prescription for a Healthier Michigan report. For more information about Michigan Steps Up and healthy school efforts, visit www.michiganstepsup.org.

Established in 1921, Lakeview School District in Battle Creek, Michigan has a rich history of academic excellence, school spirit and community partnerships. Today, Lakeview offers educational opportunities and programming for students, staff and community members as driven by their mission to develop knowledgeable, healthy, socially responsible citizens in the global community. In April 2006, Lakeview High School was honored by the Michigan Department of Community Health as a "Hometown Health Hero" for making student health a top priority and increasing access to healthy food and beverages for students.