Programming Tips

8 Tips for Healthy Programming

Why? Because healthy students are happy students.

Variety is the spice of life. So next time you offer food, think of an alternative to pizza.

Try a sandwich platter or check out other catering options like Evos, the healthy fast food around town. You could also try Med Deli, Weaver Street Market, or other local restaurants.
Help students get their fruits and vegetables throughout the day by offering fruit and veggie platters.
Check out nutrition programming ideas in the Health Programming Guide – Nutrition.
Just need some light snacks? Use cereal or popcorn instead of chips.
Consider offering water and fruit juice as an alternative to cokes and sweet tea.
Check out the Program Food Ideas page for more suggestions, or contact a nutrition staff at Campus Health Services at asknutrition@unc.edu.

Not sure what programs to offer? TALK TO your residents!

Find out what their interests and needs are. Do they have topics that they want to learn more about? Are there safety, health, or academic issues that need to be discussed? Do they need help with budgeting or time management? Have you talked about social justice, attitude, self-esteem, conflict resolution, assertiveness, or volunteering?
Browse through the Health Programming Guide to see what programs are available for you to present and contact Wellness if there is a topic you would like more information about or if you would like Wellness to conduct a workshop with your residents.
How will you make it interactive and engaging?
When presenting, acknowledge and respect community norms.
When designing programs with sensitive subject matter, make sure to avoid scare tactics. Inflicting an emotional response is not the way to sustain behavior change.
After you complete a program, get feedback on what students thought about the content, messaging, and resources offered in the program. Looking for an evaluation template? Check out our evaluation on Student Voice.

It’s not easy being green… or is it?

Part of a healthy lifestyle includes actively pursuing sustainability efforts with our environment. Here are some ideas for promoting this effort. We also encourage you to think of your own!

Ask students to bring their own utensils, plates and cups to events with food.
Recycle plastic bottles and paper products - and try to limit them by using reusable containers, like pitchers, to hold drinks.
Consider creating an electronic presentation and emailing it to students. If you must create a handout, make it double sided.
Promote the benefits of biking and walking to places nearby. Taking a bus is another great option for transportation.
Encourage students to think before they print when doing a reading assignment.

Do something ACTIVE!!!

Don’t just talk about being active - do it! Have a dance party. Set up a trail walk/run. Have a pogo stick contest or limbo! Do something fun to get people up and moving!
Play kickball or an intramural sport as a hall. Rumor has it that inner tube water polo is awesome!
Model an active lifestyle for your residents. If they see you being active, it may encourage them to think about being more active too.
Find out more information about staying active from http://campusrec.unc.edu.

Let’s talk about sex (baby).

If you choose to provide a program on sexual health education, wellness can help. Check out our sexual health portion of the Programming Guide.
- We have condoms, lube, dental dams, and informational handouts. Want some for your program? Fill out the online request form with details about what you’d like.
- If you do choose to provide the program yourself, great! Here are some tips:
  - Explain the content of the talk/presentation so all participants know what to expect.
  - Consider your assumptions. Are you assuming everyone is sexually active? Not practicing safer sex? Holding a certain sexual orientation?
Give handouts and giveaways to everyone, not just individuals.
Challenge heterosexism with your language and materials.
Talk about abstinence. Define it and include it as a viable option.
Questions??? Contact a CHECS counselor at Wellness at CHECS@unc.edu.
- We also have great games and activities, including those on the Health Resource Guide – Sexual Health and more.
- If you don’t feel comfortable doing the program on your own, partner with another floor! If you still don’t feel comfortable, our CHECS counselors will come speak to your group. Request our assistance using our outreach request form.

Give you and your residents some R&R with information about stress reduction, sleep, and relaxation.

Take residents to a yoga class or do some deep relaxation exercises in your hall.
Promote healthy sleeping habits, and try to get as much sleep as you can too!
Use the Health Programming Guide – Stress for activities and a presentation.

Be wiser with Budweiser.

Consider a discussion about what influences students’ drinking habits and discuss alternatives to this behavior. The Health Programming Guide – Alcohol and Other Drugs offers activities and a ready-to-go presentation!
Playing drinking games with non-alcoholic beverages reinforces playing those same games with alcoholic beverages – binge drinking of any sort is not healthy!
Avoid making statements that make it seem like everyone drinks. In fact, nearly 30% of Carolina students choose not to drink.
Have questions? Contact an Alcohol and Other Drugs Intervention Specialist counselor at basics@unc.edu.

Make sure students know who to call for help and resources.

When appropriate promote Wellness Services. Wellness offers services for:

Remember that Wellness is here for you. We encourage you contact us if you need ideas for programs or more healthy tips. You can acquire answers to your questions and access our resources by calling us at 919-966-3658 or sending us an email at hips@unc.edu.

Campus Health Services