Compare Real Human Organs

HealthCorps® students get to see and touch real human organs from hospital autopsy labs. Observing "healthy" and "unhealthy" versions of organs, such as a normal heart and a heart with coronary heart disease, students gain insight into their own bodies.

 

Visit the Operating Room

Students get an early glimpse into the opportunities of health careers by taking a trip to the operating rooms at local hospitals. Nurses, perfusionists, administrators and surgeons spend time talking with the students about their career paths and daily experiences.

 

Sport a Pedometer

Issued individual pedometers, students track their daily steps and discover whether they meet the recommended 10,000 steps per day. Through competitions, such as the "Healthy Steps to the Capitol,"* students quickly get motivated to increase their daily activity by walking with friends and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Participate in Guest Seminars

At HealthCorps schools, students participate in guest seminars led by experts in strength building, Pilates, yoga and other physical and mental disciplines.

School Outreach

Students form committees that impact food choices in their cafeterias. These students, armed with nutrition concepts, poll their peers and work with administrators to make cafeteria food healthier and more appealing.  Students conduct marketing campaigns such as “Healthy Halloween” to promote creativity over candy.

Campaign for a Public Health Cause

HealthCorps participants educate their community on various public health issues, such as the prevalence of Type II diabetes and the correlation between morbidity and being overweight, through community health fairs and local bodega and grocery store marketing outreach. 

Set Personal Goals

Students receive a personal journal in which they set goals based on their current physical activity level and mental well-being.  They formulate a self-intervention action plan based on the HealthCorps curriculum.

Say "No" to Diets

With knowledge of nutritional concepts, such as resting metabolic rate and macronutrients, students discern the problems inherent in restrictive dieting. By saying "No" to diets and learning to listen to internal cues related to hunger, teenagers develop healthy relationships with food.

*Not all activities are available in all schools.