In support of our PTA Purposes, we focus on advocating for and educating families and students about healthy lifestyles. We encourage our PTAs to include healthy lifestyle programs and initiatives within their school to signal to families your commitment to the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social well-being of our youth.

What is the role of a Healthy Lifestyles Chair in PTA? Depending on your school campus, there are many ways to get involved and make an impact on students and families:

• Create a Healthy Lifestyles committee with partnerships from the school principal, counselor, PE coach, cafeteria, parents and even students. This committee can identify programs, tools and resources to implement throughout the school year.

• Learn about Leander ISD's School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) and Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) Program, and become familiar with the district's wellness policies to keep your PTA members and school community informed.

• Develop an understanding of the Texas Coordinated School Health - Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model.

• Join your school's Campus Improvement or Site-Based Committees to provide a voice from the PTA and its membership.

• Become familiar with the Council's Healthy Lifestyles initiatives and legislative priorities. Connect with our Council Healthy Lifestyles Chair, Cara Owen.

• Assess your school's needs via surveys to determine the PTA's advocacy efforts.

• For more information and tools for getting started: www.txpta.org/healthy-lifestyles; www.pta.org/home/programs/Healthy-Lifestyles.