You don’t have to be a super hero to try to have super health.
That was the message of students at Unaka High School during their annual health fair on Monday.
Students in the Health Occupations, Business Management, and Family & Consumer Sciences programs at Unaka hosted the health fair for their high school colleagues as well as eighth grade students at Keenburg, Hunter, and Unaka Elementary Schools. The student’s family and members of the local community were also invited to attend.
This year’s theme was “Super Heroes. Super Health.”
A list of possible themes was compiled and then whittled down to two possibilities, said UHS teacher Kayla Clawson, one of the school’s health occupations instructors. Students in the three participating programs then voted and selected to go with the super hero theme, she said.
Students in the programs were assigned topics and had to create their information booth using not only information they researched on their topic, but they had to incorporate the event’s theme as well. Among the many topics covered were women’s health, tobacco use, drug use, steroid use, nutrition, and mental health. Super heros such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman and the Incredible Hulk made appearances at the various booths, as did super villains the likes of the Joker and Harley Quinn.
Joining the students for the event were representatives from the Carter County Health Department, the University of Tennessee Extension Office, Marsh Regional Blood Bank, the TLC Community Center, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
One of the reasons the programs join forces for the event, Clawson said, is to help better educate the students and the community regarding their health.
“Hopefully we can reach that one person to make a lifestyle change,” she said.
The health fair also helps the students giving the presentations.
“It teaches them life skills such as responsibility and communications skills,” Clawson said. “It also gives them the opportunity to learn about something they may not have much knowledge about.”