Healthy Heroes was launched in 2019 and provides special education schools with a fun and appealing programme that motivates students to make the right lifestyle choices themselves.
Making a conscious choice about what you eat and experiencing its positive effect strengthens students’ self-confidence. Making their own choices increases independence and provides an energy boost. Through the Healthy Heroes programme, students are encouraged and enthused to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We expect that their intrinsic motivation will inspire those around them to continue maintaining this healthy lifestyle and to participate as well!
A healthy lifestyle consists of a combination of healthy nutrition and physical activities. The strength of the Healthy Heroes programme lies in the combination that can be made through both teaching methods. The teaching methods are tailored to the target group, with a choice of healthy nutrition teaching methods and sports and physical activities. Click here for the menu, from which each school can put together the optimal programme for its students.
Healthy Heroes is offered in cooperation with schools and partners. Through Healthy Heroes, students become acquainted with a healthy lifestyle within the familiar environment of their school. The duration of a teaching method depends on the choices made by a school. In the second and, if applicable, third year, the school decides whether it wants to deepen its knowledge of the chosen teaching method or select new teaching methods.
Several nutrition teaching methods from the Healthy Heroes programme qualify for funding through Jong Leren Eten. Healthy Heroes is financially supported by Menzis and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). Together with these organisations, the foundation is making the adoption of a healthy lifestyle by students in special education completely normal, with special attention.
Stichting Special Heroes and its partners consider it important to monitor the effects of the programme. To this end, they routinely use the ‘Healthy Heroes’ questionnaire, which is completed by the students (possibly with the subject teacher) at two points in time. In addition, they use a supplementary method with which students can get to work themselves in a fun and playful way.
Would you like more information or do you have questions about Healthy Heroes? Please contact the regional project manager.