Creating a Culture of Well-Being
Renowned nationwide for its academic excellence and innovation, St. Vrain Valley School District — serving over 33,000 Colorado students — brings the same passion and dedication to championing faculty health and well-being. Over the past 5 years, St. Vrain staff have enthusiastically embraced a variety of HES wellness challenges, with fan favorite Walktober launching the school year on the (literal) right foot. Springtime activities have steadily bloomed over the years, with last year’s Go Gold smashing participation records and crossing the school year finish line like a champ.
More Than Just Steps — A Whole Wellness Bundle
St. Vrain Wellness Technician Connor O’Rourke noticed at least half of the questions at summer orientation’s welcome table revolved around the fall and spring fitness offerings: “Are we doing Walktober again? Will there be a spring challenge?” Knowing everyone would show up for their favorite competitions, O’Rourke decided to ride the momentum and integrate other wellness initiatives into the seasonal events. Along with weekly leaf rewards and other prizes, school staff reap a harvest of health in October. Biometric screenings, flu shots, health-centered classes, and free mammograms are offered throughout the month.
The spring challenge has evolved into another wellnesspalooza, with the addition of bite-sized goals that give participants a respite from the year-end workload pileup. Friendly competition and warm, sunny Colorado days — combined with HES’s Thrive reminders to stretch, rest, and replenish — offer a welcome breather for staff as the busy school year comes to a close.
“I like the fact that you have offered two options for teams — one more competitive than the other. This allows teachers to choose the one that best fits their schedule and also their competitive level at the end of semester when so much is happening.”
Mastering the Art of Engagement: Keeping Everyone on Board
St. Vrain faculty ranges from fresh-out-of-college grads to seasoned employees in their 60s with diverse needs and shifting wellness priorities. With 60 schools spread over 411 square miles, what’s the secret to achieving such high participation rates? Here’s O’Rourke’s recipe for making sure “everybody gets a piece of the pie.”
Dangle a carrot. At St. Vrain, participation (no matter how small) earns everyone a small prize and entry into a weekly drawing for a bigger reward. Most people score at least one leaf a week during Walktober.
Scale up for overachievers. For those that thrive on challenges, O’Rourke stokes their spirits with playful updates on a rival’s progress. Nothing spurs some people on like knowing the other team is on a roll and about to overtake you. And like rising waters lift all boats, enthusiastic participants often bring more people on board with their infectious zeal.
Unite your staff. St. Vrain staff are encouraged to link arms and tackle challenges together. And going by the numbers, camaraderie may hold the master key to a successful campaign. From 2022 to 2024, Walktober teams exploded by 64%, with step counts surging past 230 million in the recent year. That’s a lot of sneaker miles.
“The desire not to let my team down kept me engaged, and I made sure I got at least enough steps in for a leaf (almost every day).”
Be generous with shout-outs. St. Vrain’s believes in giving recognition where it’s due. New names on the leaderboard earn a quick email kudo: “Hey, you killed it this week! Congrats!”
Lessons From the Front Lines of Wellness
Have Fun With It
Weaving in current events, local trivia, or global hotspots makes already-interactive games even better. St. Vrain created an I Spy-type challenge during 2022’s Well Traveled, encouraging participants to reach their daily destination. Pirate trivia ruled the spring Yo Ho Ho challenge in 2023. And 2024’s Go Gold participants mirrored that summer’s Olympic athletes, earning tokens of encouragement in the form of bronze, silver, and gold medals.
Get the Word Out
O’Rourke uses every tool available to spread the word about upcoming challenges, and growing participant numbers prove it’s a sound plan. All-staff newsletters, email blasts with recipes and reminders, HES videos, and social media posts keep up the hype and create big buzz in the breakroom.
Learn From Each Challenge
Finding a balance between the casual and competitive participants was an important lesson to learn in the early days of HES wellness challenges. The top competitors felt a little left out and unrecognized. The solution? Spotlight excellence, encourage everyone for getting out there, and look for chances to trumpet achievement. Most exercise minutes? Top team? New to the Million Step Club? Cool bike ride en route to work? Everyone hears about it.
You Get What You Put In
Though HES challenges are designed to run themselves and provide a hands-free experience for administrators, O’Rourke likes to take a hands-on approach. He keeps in touch with participants by watching everyone’s progress and letting someone know they’re this close to getting on the leaderboard. Thanks to his efforts, new names regularly make an appearance.
“I would say that after this Walktober I feel my fitness level is the highest it’s ever been in many years.”
