My name is Audrina Baker, and I go to Luther High School. I’m in a program called YAHL, and one of the campaigns we work on is Elevate Student Health. Elevate Student Health is a policy campaign encouraging change with school policies so that everyone is offered clean, safe drinking water, nutritious food, and exercise.

Most Elevate Student Health events take place at schools and school events. Elevate Student Health focuses on schools because this is where we try to change health policies for the benefit of students. I’ve met with my Superintendent, along with one of my fellow classmates Boomer Pridemore, to make important changes to our school’s wellness policy. School wellness policies are a big deal because they determine the physical activity students get at school along with the food we consume. Elevate Student Health wants to give everyone the opportunity to be able to participate in physical activity, and give them the option for healthier foods.

This campaign has really shown me how critical it is to have these options at school so that we can be our best and healthiest selves. The way students eat now will affect them for the rest of their lives, and it’s important to me for everyone else to see that as well, which is a big reason I joined YAHL. I hope this blog has inspired and informed others to feel the same.

By Audrina Baker, YAHL Leadership Team Member at Luther High School