Ball State is the first university in Indiana using its resources to help local school systems meet a state mandate requiring formal health and wellness plans by the end of 2006-07.

A public-private partnership led by Ball State is assisting four of Delaware County's school districts with this task. Funded by a grant from the Muncie-based Ball Brothers Foundation, the partnership between Ball State's Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology and the Indiana Youth Institute also is helping local school systems examine options to create healthier schools.

The first year of the program calls for developing long-term sustainability plans, documenting existing school wellness experiences, and establishing a support system for teachers and service staff. Ball State also will create a School Wellness Coordinating Center, which will provide an online information repository, a wellness materials exchange program, and training programs.

Most schools have physical education classes and some sort of wellness or health-related classes, but few have comprehensive plans. Ball State faculty and students are working directly with area school teachers to develop innovative programs that will improve the health and well-being of local youths. Beyond the schools' walls lies the long-term potential for helping communities develop their own health and wellness programs.

"We want to get people to the table, talking about what their communities need to become healthier," says David Gobble, director of the Fisher Institute. "In the end, we should empower both schools and communities to make changes."