CHARLOTTE, N.C./May 3, 2018--Johnson C. Smith University announced a three-year commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA) Healthier Campus Initiative, a commitment designed to enhance the campus environment by supporting and promoting healthier eating and improved physical fitness. The commitment supports a healthier campus environment for students, faculty and staff.
“Our students are our nation’s future leaders,” said Jennifer Lee, director of JCSU’s HealthPlex. “During their formative college years, many students will develop lifelong habits. It’s our goal to promote and support them in developing healthier nutrition and fitness habits that will set the stage for a lifetime of wellness. We are proud to be a pioneer in the movement to creating a culture change towards health and hope our example leads others to join the movement.”
JCSU is one of more than 60 forward-thinking institutions of higher learning to make a commitment to implement PHA’s promising practices that range from offering healthy wellness meals to providing access to drinking water and more diverse opportunities for physical activity.
“We are extremely pleased to have Johnson C. Smith University as an HCI partner,” said Nancy Roman, President and CEO of the Partnership for a Healthier America. “JCSU’s leadership is an important step toward realizing PHA’s goal that all young people grow up free from obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with excess weight.”
As part of a commitment announced at Partnership for A Healthier America’s Innovating a Healthier Future Summit May 3, 2018, JCSU agreed to:
• Provide healthier food and beverage services in campus-operated dining venues every day
• Offer a comparable plant-based food option at every platform serving meat
• Make available registered dietitian nutritionists for personal nutrition assessments and counseling to all students
• Provide marked walking routes on campus with distance markers at regular intervals
PHA and its campus partners are using the hashtag #HealthyCampus to spread the word. To learn more about PHA’s participating colleges and universities, visit www.ahealthieramerica.org/campuses.