Alumna named 2014 Health Teacher of the Year at the AAHPERD/SHAPE Conference

Heidi Stan

In early April, SHAPE America, formerly the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) honored the elite of the physical education, adapted physical education, school health and dance education profession by honoring the best of the best with the National Teachers of the Year award. The winners are recognized for their outstanding teaching performance and the ability to motivate today's youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

Among the recipients was Heidi Stan, BS’02, who received the Health Teacher of the Year award for her work at Riverside Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana. Stan’s health education programming for which she was recognized is designed to improve the "health literacy" of the students ensuring they're able to obtain, interpret and comprehend basic health information, as well as products and services in order to enhance personal, family, and community health.   

From activities focused on endurance, flexibility, and coordination to lessons on portion control and reproduction, Stan’s curriculum is mapped out to ensure that students are lifelong learners and participants. Stan emphasizes the principles of health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and how to incorporate students' new-found knowledge into making positive health decisions.