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Co-Lin Expands Wolfpack Wellness Initiative with Support from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation
Copiah-Lincoln Community College has received a $251,310 grant from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation to fund the Wolfpack Wellness Initiative Part 2 on the college’s Wesson Campus through the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation College and University Health and Wellness Initiative. In August, 2012, the college also received a $110,000 grant from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for the initial phase of Wolfpack Wellness.
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“We applaud the ongoing efforts of Co-Lin Community College and the Wolfpack Wellness Initiative,” said Sheila Grogan, Executive Director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. “We look forward to continued progress throughout the next phase of the program.”
“The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation grant will make a difference in the lives of our faculty, staff, students, and community,” said Co-Lin President Dr. Ronnie Nettles. “The grant will be far reaching in the coming months helping to create a positive culture of change and success related to health and wellness opportunities at Co-Lin. The generous support by the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation will increase our outreach efforts in making southwest Mississippi a healthier, happier and more productive community through education and activity.
The second phase of the Wolfpack Wellness Initiative will include the Co-Lin faculty, staff, students and the local community and will measure goals and outcomes. Plans include creating a faculty and staff fitness center to featuring free weights, cardiovascular equipment and an on-demand fitness center. Additionally, a Wolfpack Wellness Program will support those enrolled in tracking wellness goals and outcomes. The program will also feature a nutritionist and personal trainer who will work with program participants on a monthly basis.
For students, plans are in place to begin a student-driven health and wellness organization to promote events and information to the college and community. To introduce the health and wellness options, a module will be added to the Orientation class that will introduce students to the importance of health and wellness as a lifestyle choice. A plan will also be implemented working with the Culinary Arts instructor, Jody Hoff, to demonstrate “healthy cooking in the dorm” for students with minimum resources. Also, the student fitness center will receive additional cardiovascular equipment and morning hours will be extended to increase access to the facility.
Other features of the initiative include rerouting and resurfacing the Oswalt Nature Trail, expanding the nutritional information and healthy options available in the faculty and staff dining, and a spring health fair hosted by the college each year for faculty, staff and students. The initiative will also include additional signage and support for tobacco cessation.
The college plans to expand its members on the college Wellness Committee to include local community representatives from King’s Daughters Medical Center, representatives from the Town of Wesson and Wesson Attendance Center, and medical-based student group representatives. The college will work with the health and wellness student organization to encourage and assist elementary students with physical activity goal setting; invite students to participate in community activities throughout the year; host Bike-A-Thons and physical education days for elementary students on campus; coordinate events to coincide with national healthy celebration activities; and host events for students in grades K-12. Many of the events will utilize students in Co-Lin’s Medical Laboratory Technology and Associate Degree Nursing programs, as well as have support from Active Health and King’s Daughters Medical Center.
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation funds successful health programs and initiatives utilizing its College and University Health and Wellness Initiative model that are working to improve the health of Mississippians.
More information will be forthcoming on the progress of the Wolfpack Wellness Initiative through community flyers, the Co-Lin website, the college’s Facebook page, and Twitter accounts. Links to all of these pages are available at www.colin.edu http://www.colin.edu.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College practices equal opportunity in education and employment. Additional information about the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation may be found at www.healthiermississippi.org.
