December 7, 2006

PENN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WINS FREE CHARACTER EDUCATION ASSEMBLY

On Thursday, December 14, 130 kindergarten and first graders at Penn Valley Elementary School in Narberth, PA participated in an interactive lesson on character education. The program, It Takes Practice to be a Friend, was led by a health educator from the Weller Center, a nonprofit health education center offering programs for students in grades K-12.

The Weller Center's visit to Penn Valley Elementary School was made possible through their health teacher, Deb McAllister, whose name was chosen from a summer contest run by the Weller Center. Check out photos from their big day!

During It Takes Practice to be a Friend, a health educator, with special assistance from puppets Wiggles and Squiggles, helps the students learn healthy ways to express their feelings, how to be a good listener, how to share and ways to help other people who are sad. Positive self-esteem, handling angry feelings and problem-solving skills are also explored.

The mission of the Weller Health Education Center is to measurably improve children's lives by giving students the tools they need to make informed and healthy life choices. The region's primary preventive health education resource for schools and organizations, the Weller Center provides engaging, interactive curricula-based health science programs and assemblies for students across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To accomplish this, each year the Center partners with more than 500 schools and over 85,000 students to supplement and enhance the teaching of health, character education and life science for students grades K through 12. The Center was the first not-for-profit health promotion, disease prevention education facility of its kind in Pennsylvania. Serving more than 1.3 million children since our inception in 1982, the Weller Center remains the only such center in our 39-county service area throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey and one of just 34 health education centers across the nation. Learn more at www.wellercenter.org!