Home

Clinic Locations

Programs and Services

Health Connection

Birth and Death Certificates

Request Records

Board of Health

Health Regulations

Public Health Alerts

Environmental Health

Food Establishment/Restaurant Inspections

Emergency Preparedness

Employment

Media

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Gold Medal Schools Work?

Your school will meet criteria that are divided into five levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum Focus. As your school achieves the next level they continue to implement the criteria they completed in previous levels.

This way by the time a school reaches the Platinum Focus level they will be implementing all Gold Medal Schools criteria from Bronze to Platinum Focus Areas and will have a comprehensive healthy school environment.

Examples of criteria include:

• Establish a Gold Medal Mile walking program on or around school grounds and sets a goal for each student to walk at least one mile each week.
• Develop a policy for all teachers and staff to follow emphasizing that food is not to be used as a reward or as a punishment.
• Write a comprehensive policy that mandates a tobacco-free school and offers smoking cessation support to its faculty.
• Provide wellness activities for faculty and staff.

See all criteria

What kind of awards do schools receive?

As you reach each level your school will be awarded a cash prize. Bronze schools receive $200; Silver schools receive $300; Gold schools receive $500; Platinum schools receive $300 and Platinum Focus schools receive $200, for a total of $1,500 if a school completes all the levels. This money can be used to purchase new P.E. equipment, nutrition resources, or tobacco prevention materials

Your school will be assigned a mentor to help you implement Gold Medal Schools. Your mentor will be a Utah Department of Health employee who has been trained to help your school reach your desired level.

Your school will need to provide a school coordinator. A school coordinator is a volunteer from your school who will work closely with the mentor to keep your school on track.

Your principal will also play an important role in implementing Gold Medal Schools and must agree to support the program.

You will also receive support from your Local Health Department and the Utah Department of Health Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program staff, including nutrition and physical activity experts.

 

Why do schools participate?

• To earn up to $1,500 for nutrition resources, P.E. equipment and tobacco prevention.
• Healthy schools make healthy learners.
• Studies demonstrate that students who are physically active and have good nutrition achieve higher test scores.
• Gold Medal Schools emphasizes changes to physical activity, nutrition and tobacco policies in order to create a healthier school environment.
• Gold Medal Schools will not change curriculum.
• Gold Medal Schools will make lasting changes without putting high demands on teachers.
• Students, faculty and staff at Gold Medal Schools enjoy walking, a tobacco-free school environment, Safe Routes to Schools and much more.

Who qualifies to be a GMS?

Any public, private or charter elementary school in Utah with a desire to improve the health of their school may apply to be a Gold Medal School.

 

Is Gold Medal Schools hard to implement?

No, in a recent study conducting by Lighthouse Research. School coordinators and principals rated the ease of implementing GMS a 3.6 on a scale of 5

 

How will my mentor help my school implement GMS?

Your mentor will provide you with the information you need to implement GMS Criteria. They will also write policies, educate faculty and staff about GMS, help coordinate GMS assemblies, track the number of Gold Medal Miles walked, increase awareness of Gold Medal schools throughout the school, etc

 

Does participating in the program take away from teaching time?

For some schools participating in Gold Medal Schools may take away from teaching time (e.g. walking the Gold Medal Mile, 90 Minutes of PE). However, many teachers have stated by taking this time for physical activity their students are more focused in the classroom and learning has actually increased.

 

Does signing up for the program cost the school money?

Signing up for Gold Medal Schools will not cost your school any money. By signing up you will be eligible to receive up to $1500 for completing criteria levels

 

How fast does my school have to move through the criteria levels?

Schools can implement Bronze through Gold in one to three years. Platinum must be done by itself in a year and the Platinum Focus areas must also be completed by themselves in one year

 

Does my school have to implement Recess Before Lunch to be a Gold Medal School?

No, a school can achieve the highest GMS level without changing to a recess before lunch schedule

 

Do I need to hire a PE teacher/specialist to become a Gold Medal School?

No, one teacher per school can attend the GMS PE Training each year to fulfill the PE teacher/specialist policy (Gold #1)

 

Where do I find 90 minutes for structured PE during the school week?

In addition to a 30 minute PE class once a week, GMS offers a resource called 5 minute energizers. If they are used once a day that adds 25 minutes to your week. You can also walk to Gold Medal Mile for an additional 15 minutes. Your mentor will help your school decide on hot to best achieve this criterion for your school

 

If we participate in the program can we still have class parties, carnivals, etc. that have food?

Yes, you can still have class parties, carnivals, assemblies, etc. that involve food.

Note: When your school reaches the platinum level you will write a policy for healthy options to be available when food is offered

 

Sometimes our teacher’s withhold recess, does this mean that we can't participate in the program?

Not withholding recess or PE is an optional criterion so your school can still be a Gold Medal School if recess or PE is withheld

 

Can we sell food items as a fundraiser and still participate in the program?

Not selling food at fundraisers is an optional criterion so your school can still be a Gold Medal School if you participate in food fundraisers

 

What are some of the resources offered to Gold Medal Schools?

• 5 minute Energizers: Can be used to help your school achieve 90 minutes of structured physical activity each week. (1 energizer a day = 25 minutes)
• Non-Food Incentives: Gives teachers a easy alternatives to using food
• Tobacco Incentives: Each school gets $50 worth per year

What other agencies are partnering with GMS?

GMS funders are:

• Utah Department of Health (UDOH)
• Tobacco Prevention and Control
• Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
• Intermountain Healthcare
• Prevention Block Grant
• George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation

GMS In Kind Partners are:

• Local School Districts and Elementary Schools
• 12 Local Health Departments
• Action For Healthy Kids
• American Heart Association
• Intermountain Healthcare Healthy Communities
• Utah Parent Teacher Association
• Utah State Office of Education
• Utah Department of Health
• Asthma Prevention and Control
• Cancer Control
• Child and Adolescent School Health
• Diabetes Prevention and Control
• Environmental Quality
• Healthy Utah
• Immunizations