Extension is excited for this opportunity to partner with the UNLV School of Public Health and Las Vegas Raiders to provide nutrition education for youth! Housed in the UNLV School of Public Health, the Raiders/UNLV Sports and Health Program (RUSH) will provide opportunities for middle school youth to learn the skills and knowledge needed to play sports in high school. Although this unique initiative is intended to be co-ed, the program will be primarily focused on the recruitment of girls. The overarching goals of the RUSH Program are to increase:
- The amount of physical activity of all participants
- Girls’ intention to play sports in high school
- The consumption of healthy food options among all youth
- The intention to seek help for mental health issues among participants
Learn more about UNLV RUSH
Student handouts
School Resources
Extension programs align with Clark County School District (CCSD) Focus 2024: Strategic Plan.
Student success: Our programs help schools improve student health. Healthy students are better on all levels of academic achievement: academic performance, education, behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes. Helping students stay healthy through eating healthy foods and being physically active can help school districts achieve better overall test scores, grades and attendance rates.
Teacher, principal and staff support: Our programs help schools address health standards related to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for Health. Our programs also help school wellness coordinators implement CCSD R-5157 School Wellness Policy by providing resources to meet district wellness goals.
School-based public health programs
Policy, systems and environmental interventions are used to create a healthy school environment to improve the health of students, teachers, parents and the community. These approaches can formally and informally change wellness practices, guidelines and regulations of schools, and target root causes of health inequities to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement uses an assessment tool to provide proven strategies for encouraging students to select and eat nutritious foods offered in the school lunchroom. This is done with simple, no- or low-cost strategies that can help increase the selection and consumption of healthy school food, reduce food waste and create a positive eating experience for students.
The School Health Index is structured around the Whole School, Whole Community and Whole Child model. The model is student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting schools, the connections between health and academic achievements, and the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices. The School Health Index assessment tool addresses a variety of topics that schools can use to identify priority areas and complete a School Health Improvement Plan to take necessary steps to implement actions.
Choose Health: Food, Fun and Fitness is a six-lesson, evidence-based hands-on curriculum delivered in middle schools. The curriculum is developed by Cornell University’s Division of Nutritional Sciences in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program, and uses experiential learning to teach healthy eating and active play, targeting behaviors most important to preventing childhood obesity and chronic disease. Topics include replacing sweetened drinks with low-fat milk and water; eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains; eating fewer high-fat and high-sugar foods; and playing actively 60 minutes a day. Each lesson includes interactive nutrition activities, food preparation, active games, a goal setting challenge and a family newsletter. This curriculum supports the 2020 - 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and USDA’s MyPlate.
