Initiative at Oxnard high schools aims to improve student health with events, education

The high schools in Oxnard and Camarillo have been putting on schoolwide health fairs that have attendance rivaling that of a school sporting event as part of a new initiative. 

The Oxnard Union High School District brought in Jessica Silon, the district’s regional HealthCorps coordinator, to make sure every school had at least one health fair between 2018 and 2020 — in addition to other initiatives like the implementation of a district wellness policy and staff wellness programming. 

HealthCorps is a national nonprofit that “gives teens tools to improve physical and mental health so they can learn to live more productive and happier lives,” according to the organization website. Silon works with the district through a HealthCorps contract. She began in August. 

‘Farm-to-school is a great way to teach students’

The health fairs mirror a science fair in that students create poster board presentations and research different health-related projects ranging from managing stress and anxiety to picking better foods to body positivity.

There’s also a bicycle at all the fairs connected to a blender and it always has the longest lines, Silon said. 

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“The students have a great time, and the whole process really boosts their morale and their confidence,” Silon said. 

Although she was hired this school year, the healthy initiatives in the district started several years before her arrival. 

Anna Jackson, the district’s Farm to School coordinator, told The Star her goal has always been to bring healthy practices into the community. She’s helped schools start garden programs and bring those fruits and vegetables into school lunches through the cafeterias. 

“It’s been shown that farm-to-school is a great way to teach students about nutrition,” Jackson said. “We are trying to cut out any notions kids have that healthy food doesn’t taste good.” 

The gardens are a good way for students to get their hands dirty and learn more about what they are putting into their bodies, Jackson said. 

“When students are involved in growing food then they are more interested in eating it, which is so true because I’ve seen students pick carrots out of the ground and barely wash them off and eat them,” Jackson said. “Radishes, too.” 

Goal is building ’healthy habits’ in students

Jackson said that health fairs started at Hueneme High School a couple years back when the district brought in its first HealthCorps contractor to help get the program off the ground. 

When Silon came in, she was tasked with expanding that single-site program to all the district’s schools. 

Now more than 2,000 students are attending the fairs at their school sites, Silon said, and creating presentations on making their own stress balls and combating social media bullying. 

They also get to learn from community partners at the community college and local organizations who bring their resources on essential oils, puppy therapy and yoga to the schools on health fair day. 

“Hopefully, it helps to build some healthy habits in students that they carry with them after high school,” Silon said. “That’s the biggest goal.” 

Alexa D’Angelo is the education reporter at the Ventura County Star. Reach her at alexa.d’angelo@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236.