On Monday, February 9th, the USD 373 Board of Education recognized elementary physical education teacher, Mario Nava, for his commitment and dedication to improving the health of students and families in his school and community through the iAmHealthy Parents First program.

The iAmHealthy Parents First program is a free online healthy lifestyle program through the University of Kansas Medical Center funded by the National Institutes of Health and is the first randomized controlled trial in the world designed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated obesity treatment program aimed at both adults and children, specifically designed for rural families.

The program teaches lifelong healthy habits to parents and their children from rural areas as these areas have higher rates of obesity than families living in urban areas. Families with obesity are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and various cancers, making this a very important health problem to address.

Over the past three years, Mr. Nava has supported the program through active promotion, recruitment and referral of families to participate in iAHPF, as he strives to ensure his schools and community are healthier places to live, work and thrive.

Congratulations, Mr. Nava! #RailerPride