Indianapolis, Indiana – June 19, 2018- – Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb has proclaimed June 19, 2018 as a day to recognize A Decade of Service by the Indiana School Health Network. This proclamation was shared during the opening of the 10th Indiana School Health Network (ISHN) Conference, Celebrating a Decade of Connecting the Dots attended by 500 school health advocates from around the state. “Covering Kids & Families is proud to serve as the lead agency for ISHN and play a role in improving student health by working with schools to educate and enroll families in healthcare coverage” stated Susan Jo Thomas, Executive Director.
At a special awards luncheon during the conference, the ISHN Governor & Cheri Daniels School Health Award was presented to Zach Kelley, a Kinesiology teacher at White Lick Elementary School, Brownsburg Community School Corporation. Zach Kelley has been a teacher at White Lick Elementary for the past 15 years. He has devoted the past 13 years to developing an elementary Kinesiology program that focuses on improving students’ quality of life. All the innovative activities incorporate appropriate developmental movement patterns and skills to challenge students to live active lifestyles and develop outstanding character through cooperative and problem-solving elements while exposing students to an infinite amount of exercise activity. Students are challenged to stay active throughout the day in classrooms, extracurricular activity and at home—involving their entire family.
In addition to his teaching duties, Zach has mentored thousands of students with his Juggling Masters extracurricular program, created to provide additional exercise opportunity for all students. Over 2,000 students have participated in the Juggling Masters’ program in its 13-year span.
Zach’s philosophy of teaching is to be an outstanding role model for students, staff and his community. He approaches each day with one simple thought…”it’s not about me. It’s about the students and the community I serve. I choose to inspire others by serving others.”
Indiana School Health Network & the Governor and Cheri Daniels School Health Award
Covering Kids & Families of Indiana and the Indiana School Health Network launched the Governor and Cheri Daniels School Health Award at the 2012 conference. The award was created to recognize Governor Mitch Daniels and his wife, Cheri, for their leadership and contributions to the health of Hoosier adults and children through their work building and promoting INShape Indiana, the Healthy Indiana Plan and ongoing efforts to promote health in schools. Winners of this award are recognized as strong advocates for student health or a healthy school environment; have made outstanding contributions to improving statewide processes and policies that benefit Indiana schools or promote school wellness policies, school health behaviors and activities in Indiana. Winners of this award are recognized as leaders and advocates for schools and school health in Indiana. Zach Kelley received a plaque and a monetary award of $1,000 donated to the charity of his choice. For additional information, visit www.inschoolhealth.org.
About Covering Kids & Families of Indiana
Covering Kids & Families of Indiana (CKF-IN) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring all Hoosiers have accessible healthcare coverage. CKF-IN promotes and facilitates healthcare coverage by building coalitions that enroll, educate, and support Hoosiers and by advocating for strong inclusive public policies. For more information, visit www.ckfindiana.org.
