Go for Gold!
Georgia Tech puts great emphasis on the physical and mental health of its students and its employees. The Certified Healthy program encourages a healthier lifestyle on campus by recognizing and rewarding student organizations, schools and colleges, campus departments, and other campus groups at Georgia Tech who demonstrate great commitment to fostering a healthy lifestyle. Participating departments are often led by Well-Being Activators, students or employees who encourage those in their department to get involved in events and programs that deal with improving health and well-being. The highest award one can receive is gold, second is silver, and third is bronze.
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) participated in this program for the first time in Spring 2019, and it was awarded a silver certification. However, the CTL staff now wants to “Go for Gold,” and is working towards earning the Gold Certified Healthy award in the coming academic year. They recently participated in the Kaiser Permanente Run, an inclusive 5K run/walk/roll race designed to promote physical health among Atlanta companies and their employees.
Dr. Tammy McCoy, TA Development and Future Faculty Specialist and CTL’s Well-Being Activator, believes this “Go for Gold” health initiative will have a positive impact on the workplace, both physically and socially. “The CTL staff is already a tight-knit group but participating in the Kaiser Permanente Run allowed us to interact on a more personal level outside of work where we could support and encourage each other to be great.” They plan to continue participating in health activities in their venture to achieve gold in the months to come. CTL Director Dr. Joyce Weinsheimer adds, “’Going for Gold’ is a way of encouraging each other to keep well-being in the forefront of our thinking. There’s always more that we’d like to accomplish than is feasible to do, so making choices that help us work together productively and enjoy life at the same time keeps us going. And—just maybe—there’s ‘gold’ in our future!”
