Local school districts such as Weatherly are taking a proactive approach to health education in an effort to raise those Community Health Rankings.

School nurse Rebekah McFadden has facilitated the Weatherly Wellness Council, a group of concerned students, parents, teachers, school nurses, and community health services workers, for 14 years. The group has introduced numerous innovative programs that encourage healthy lifestyle choices for students.ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously) Day featured hip hop DJ Reggie, who entertained students from kindergarten to eighth grade by encouraging physical activity through dance. Pop Out Day, an initiative to promote healthy foods, drew 307 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to pledge to drink healthy beverages such as water, skim milk and 100 percent fruit juice. Students from kindergarten through second grade learned about proper hand washing and sanitation techniques during "Germ City."They applied a black-light sensitive lotion to their hands, entered a demonstration room, and observed where germs could hide.McFadden hopes that these activities will continue to promote good health practices amongst local students, which could lead to better community health overall. Perhaps it could even result in a higher rank in the next Community Health Rankings."I would absolutely love to see Carbon County move up on that list, one child at a time!" McFadden said.