Students at five Bureau of Indian Education schools will participate in a new health program that was announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today.

The "Our Way to Health" program was developed by Myron L. Rolle, a Rhodes Scholar and former Florida State University football player. It emphasizes physical fitness and healthy eating.

"Our objective in this initiative is to inspire American Indian and Native Alaskan students to live healthier lifestyles through exercise, outdoor activity, and proper nutrition,” Salazar said at the Interior Department in Washington, D.C. “The program developed by the Myron Rolle Foundation will celebrate the uniqueness of their heritage and identity in curriculum, develop trust amongst peers, train leaders and involve the community to ensure their needs are met.”

While a student in Florida, Rolle began working with the Seminole Tribe after reading a newspaper article about high rates of diabetes among Indian youth. He developed the program for Indian fifth graders at a charter school

Hundreds of students at BIE schools in Arizona and New Mexico will now take part in the program. Each school will tailor the curriculum to fit their needs.

“The Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools are excited to participate in this initiative,” said Assistant Secretary Larry EchoHawk. “They look forward to implementing the innovative features of this program that encourages children and their families to incorporate physical fitness and healthy choices into their daily lives.”

Get the Story:
Press Release: Salazar Launches Partnership with All-American Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle for Innovative Health Program at Indian Schools (DOI 9/23)

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DOI to announce Indian student health program (9/21)