WILSON, N.C. — December 3, 2019 — Barton has made great strides this fall semester since joining 77 other institutions in the Partnership for a Healthier America’s “Healthy Campus Initiative.” In fact, as a participant in the National Healthy Campus Week Challenge held in late September, Barton College won the largest physical activity challenge grand prize. With a total of 216 participants in attendance, Barton won by the largest percentage per student population.
Partnership for a Healthier America is a nonprofit organization in which former First Lady Michelle Obama serves as the Honorary Chair. Barton beat 77 other institutions in the Partnership’s national campus challenge, including major universities such as N.C. State University, University of Oregon, and Ohio State University to win this award. Barton College will be recognized on stage in spring 2020 at the Partnership for a Healthier America National Conference in Chicago.
“I am excited for the future of Barton as a partner with the Healthy Campus Initiative,” shared Kristy Lievense, Wellness Director for the Barton FIT Program. “The goal of this partnership is to create a healthier environment, where our students can thrive and create independent healthy habits during their time at Barton College that will follow them into adulthood.”
Partnership for a Healthier America’s “Healthy Campus Initiative is a perfect complement to the well-established Barton FIT program that the College began several years ago under the supervision of Dr. Susan Bane, associate professor of Allied Health and Sport Studies at Barton College and a physician.
“Barton FIT is a campus wellness program that uses a functional and integrative medicine approach for students, faculty, and staff to create of culture of health on campus and in Wilson,” explained Dr. Bane. “The foundation of Barton’s program is built on the principle of empowering individuals to optimize health through modifiable lifestyle factors such as nutrition, movement, stress, sleep, relaxation, and healthy relationships. Thanks to a grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, we were able to become a member of the Healthier Campus Initiative, which sponsored this physical activity national challenge. These partnerships are essential to our success and align with Barton College’s mission of developing the whole student.”
This new partnership makes Barton College one of 78 colleges and universities nationally that will be considered one of America’s Healthiest Campuses in the Country. “We have a lot of work ahead of us over the next three years as Barton works to meet guidelines set by this organization, but, ultimately, this partnership and the prestige and publicity it brings will set us apart from other institutions,” added Lievense.
Visit the Partnership for a Healthier America’s website to see Barton’s feature, https://www.ahealthieramerica.org/our-partners/barton-college-299.
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