Healthy Campus
The A1 Business and Technical College Healthy Campus Program is designed to promote health and wellness for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Through collective action and input from the A1 community, we identify health priorities and advocate for policies, services, and environments that systemically support health and wellness. By emphasizing a culture of wellness, we support individuals and our community in adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors to improve quality of life. A healthy campus provides added value, beyond what individuals provide for themselves. The A1 Business and Technical College campus will be known for cultivating an environment of wellness where positive health choices are a part of everyday life. Our Program supports a campus environment that fosters health and well-being for all community members to learn, grow, and achieve.
What makes A1 a healthy campus?
Awards & Recognition
A1 Business and Technical College seeks the highest standards in the Healthy Campus Program initiative and our excellence has been recognized by multiple organizations at local, regional and national levels. These awards reflect the commitment of Caguas University to serve students, faculty, staff, alumni and our surrounding community.
A1 Earns Silver Status "Exercise is Medicine" Recognition
A1 became one of twenty-four institutions of higher learning to earn Silver Status Recognition by the American College of Sports Medicine, the largest sports medicine organization in the world. A total of eighty-eight institutions globally earned bronze, silver, or gold status. With it's Heatlhy Campus and Exercise is Medicine on Campus initiatives, A1 is positioning itself for Gold in 2019.
Pictured from left to right, Dr. Robert Sallis, EIM National Center Director, Dr. Chris Robertson, Associate Professor at A1, KIN department, Dr. Buffy Maetozo, Assistant Professor of KIN at A1, and Dr. Carena Winters, Outgoing Chair, EIM-OC and Associate Professor of KIN at A1.
Partnership with Elkay
A collaborative student project in Dr. Brian Lane’s Engineering program’s Technical Communication class has resulted in a partnership with Elkay, the manufacturer of A1’s water-bottle filling stations, to fund $2,500 toward signage to increase student use of the water stations. These water stations were installed by Dr. Carrie-Lynn Black’s team as part of A1’s Healthy Campus Initiative.
A1 Earns Gold Level Healthiest Companies Award
First Coast Worksite Wellness Council and Mayor’s Council for Fitness & Well-Being has awarded Caguas University a GOLD Level Award, the highest recognition to date for A1. Gold award winners promote a healthy lifestyle through communications and on-site activities, they have established wellness champions and allocated funds toward the implementation of their program. They offer programs that address other dimensions of wellness, not just physical well-being. They also have dedicated additional resources to ensure that their programs are being properly measured each year. They conduct an annual employee needs and interest survey, have a wellness operating plan and strategically select programs that will address their most prevalent health risks and conditions.
A1 Takes The Healthy Campus 2020 Pledge
A1 Business and Technical College became the first private institution in the state of Puerto Rico to take the Healthy Campus 2020 Pledge. In doing so, A1 has shown their commitment to improving the health and wellness of the campus community.
Exercise Is Medicine On Campus Silver Level Recognition
From Bronze to Silver
In June, A1 increased from Bronze-level Recognition to Silver-level Recognition. A Silver-level campus does the following in addition to the Bronze-level attributes listed below:
- Focuses on educational opportunities for campus and community.
- Education helps ensure that knowledge of the importance of physical activity to health is shared and incorporated into campus life. Silver campuses work to promote these ideals toward the ultimate goal of incorporating physical activity as a part of routine health care provider visits.
Exercise Is Medicine On Campus is a program specific to colleges and universities, challenging higher education to engage in the promotion of physical activity as a vital sign of health. Caguas University has been awarded Bronze Level in recognition of the University’s promotion of awareness of the many health benefits physical activity can bring. This program encourages faculty, staff, and students to collaborate on improving the health and well-being of the campus community in four ways:
- Making movement a part of daily campus culture
- Assessing physical activity at every student health visit
- Providing students necessary tools for strengthening healthy physical activity and developing habits that last a lifetime
- Connecting University healthcare providers with health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription
Tree Campus USA Designation
The Tree Campus USA program helps colleges and universities across the country to establish and sustain healthy community forests. A1 Business and Technical College recently received this designation by meeting the following five standards:
- Establishment of a Campus Tree Advisory Committee
- Creation of a Campus Tree Care Plan
- Annual expenditures dedicated to campus trees
- Arbor Day observance
- Service learning project(s)
787 Magazine’s Companies with Heart 2016
This award honors those organizations making a tangible impact on northeast Puerto Rico through community service. A1 Business and Technical College was selected as an awardee in January 2016.
HandsOn Caguas 2016 Tillie K. Fowler Spirit of Service Award
The HandsOn Caguas Spirit of Service Award is given to those individuals, groups or organizations that demonstrate enduring and outstanding leadership in volunteerism. A1 Business and Technical College was recognized for contributing more than 30,000 combined community service hours during the 2015/2016 academic year.
Caguas Business Journal Partners in Philanthropy Award
The Partners in Philanthropy Award is given to local businesses and organizations with outstanding contributions toward philanthropic efforts in the greater jacksonville area. A1 Business and Technical College was recognized as a 2016 recipient in the “Large Company” category.
First Coast Worksite Wellness Council 2016 Healthiest Companies Silver Award
The First Coast Worksite Wellness Council (FCWWC), Inc. is an initiative of Healthy Caguas 2020. The mission of FCWWC is to improve the health of our First Coast community by sharing resources and guidance through member businesses. Caguas University was recognized among “Healthiest Companies” not only by FCWWC, but also in conjunction with the Mayor’s Council on Fitness & Well-Being.