About - HealthCorps

Shaping a New Generation

Vision

HealthCorps®’ vision is to lead a nationwide movement toward a new generation of healthy young people. We were founded by heart surgeon and two-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa, to combat the childhood obesity crisis.

Mission

Our mission is to implement an innovative in-school model that inspires teens to make healthier choices for themselves and their families.

ABOUT HEALTHCORPS

HealthCorps® is a 501 (C) 3 co-founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the world-renowned cardiac surgeon and two-time Daytime Emmy® Award-winning host of the two time Daytime Emmy® Award-winning “The Dr. Oz Show”, and his wife, Lisa Oz, to combat the childhood obesity crisis. HealthCorps® is building a nationwide movement to shape a new generation.+Read more…

HealthCorps® “Coordinators” carry out unique in-school and community programming targeting high-need populations. Using peer-mentoring to deliver a progressive curriculum in nutrition, fitness and mental strength, HealthCorps® Coordinators give teens purpose, help develop human character, and inspire an interest in health and culinary arts careers. HealthCorps® also serves as a unique research laboratory – exploring the complex, underlying causes of the obesity crisis and discovering and communicating solutions. HealthCorps® is bringing many initiatives together to address the “Whole Child” and activate the students’ mind, body and spirit. As a result, HealthCorps® is transforming the educational paradigm one school at a time. The program network spans 66 schools in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

In the fall of 2012, HealthCorps introduced HealthCorps University, a new “train the trainer” professional development program that makes the HealthCorps principles and curriculum available to virtually any school. Through HealthCorps University and the Coordinator program, HealthCorps hopes to have a presence in 100 schools by 2015.

You can follow HealthCorps on Twitter and on Facebook.

Programs for Schools

The HealthCorps curriculum is currently available in schools through our “Living Labs” program. In Fall 2012, we also introduced “HealthCorps University”, a new “train the trainer” professional development program that makes the HealthCorps principles and curriculum available to virtually any school.+Read more…

Living Labs

Our in-school program includes embedding a trained HealthCorps Coordinator in a high school on a full-time basis for a minimum of two years to serve as a peer mentor for students. Coordinators lead activities in:

Nutrition: Students learn practical ways to choose foods that are healthy and develop healthy relationships with food that will last a lifetime.
Fitness: Students learn how to maximize their caloric burn everyday by making simple lifestyle choices.
Mental Resilience: HealthCorps helps students develop decision-making and communication skills, foster healthy relationships and set long-term goals.

HealthCorps University

HealthCorps University is a new “train the trainer” professional development program that makes the HealthCorps principles and curriculum available to virtually any school.

HealthCorps conducts an intensive two-day training program for a school or district, and also includes special sessions for parents and students.

This program was introduced during Fall 2012.

Our Scope & Goals

HealthCorps’ national peer mentoring program spans 66 high schools in 14 states (AZ, CA, DE, FL, LA, MD, MS, NJ, NC, NY, OH, OK, OR, TX) and the District of Columbia. We have impacted 142,900 students and 285,800 friends and family through our work. By 2015, HealthCorps aspires to be in 100 schools across the country and impacting students in all 50 states.

Advocating for Change

HealthCorps advocates for healthy public policy at the local, state and federal level. Our goal is to elevate health education and physical education to “core subjects” within federal education laws, thus allowing both subjects to be eligible for federal funding.+Read more…

As a member of the Green Schools National Network, we also promote policy shifts and best practices that move us towards safer environments affecting students’ health and encouraging communities to become more physically active.

HealthCorps Chairman Dr. Mehmet Oz and HealthCorps President Michelle Bouchard also appeared before the United States Senate’s Health Education Labor and Pension Committee in 2009 to discuss wellness policy and HealthCorps’ commitment to national service.