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Gold Medal Schools makes it possible for elementary schools to provide physical activity and healthy nutrition choices at a time when budget cuts and testing requirements overshadow physical activity and nutrition. Gold Medal Schools improves students’ academic success through policies and environmental changes that support good nutrition, physical activity, and staying tobacco-free.
The Utah Department of Health developed the Gold Medal Schools program in 2001 using the State Office of Education's core curriculum and the Centers for Disease Control's guidelines to address overweight and obesity in elementary schools. Today, Gold Medal Schools has reached more than 200,015 students and over 8,123 teachers in 374 elementary schools!
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| Watch a short video to learn more about Gold Medal Schools |
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 View in QuickTime
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This seven-minute video includes an overview of
Gold Medal Schools and interviews with school administration and volunteers who have benefited from this progressive program.
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| How does Gold Medal Schools Work? |
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Your school will meet criteria that are divided into five levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum Focus. As your school achieves new levels they continue to implement the criteria they completed in previous levels. This way by the time a school reaches the Platinum Focus level they will be implementing all Gold Medal Schools criteria from Bronze to Platinum Focus and will have a comprehensive healthy school environment.
Examples of criteria include: |
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- Establish a Gold Medal Mile walking program on or around school grounds and set a goal for each student to walk at least one mile each week
- Develop a policy for all teachers and staff emphasizing that food is not to be used as a reward or as a punishment
- Write a comprehensive policy that mandates a tobacco-free school and offers smoking cessation support to its faculty
- Provide wellness activities for faculty and staff
- Click here to see all the criteria
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As you reach each level your school will be awarded a cash prize. Bronze schools receive $200, Silver schools receive $300, Gold schools receive $500, Platinum schools receive $300, and Platinum Focus schools receive $200, for a total of $1,500 if a school completes all the levels. This money can be used to purchase new P.E. equipment, nutrition resources, or tobacco prevention materials.
Your school will be assigned a mentor to help you implement Gold Medal Schools. Your Mentor will be a Utah Department of Health employee who has been trained to help your school reach your desired level.
Your school will need to provide a School Coordinator. A School Coordinator is a volunteer who will work closely with the Mentor to keep your school on track.
Your Principal will also play an important role in implementing Gold Medal Schools and must agree to support the program.
Read more about Principal, School Coordinator, and Mentor roles.
You will also receive support from your Local Health Department and the Utah Department of Health Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
GMS Resources |
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| Why do schools participate? |
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- To earn up to $1,500 for nutrition resources, P.E. equipment, and tobacco prevention
- Healthy schools make healthy learners
- Studies demonstrate that students who are physically active and have good nutrition achieve higher test scores
- Gold Medal Schools emphasizes changes to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco policies in order to create a healthier school environment
- Gold Medal Schools will not change curriculum
- Gold Medal Schools will make lasting changes without putting high demands on teachers
- Students, faculty, and staff at Gold Medal Schools enjoy walking, a tobacco-free school environment, Safe Routes to Schools, and much more
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| Who qualifies to be a GMS? |
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| Any public, private, or charter elementary school in Utah with a desire to improve the health of their school may apply to be a Gold Medal School. |
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| Gold Medal Schools Success |
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| Read about schools that have made Gold Medal Schools work for them. Gold Medal School of the Month |
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| Which schools in Utah are Gold Medal Schools? |
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There are 374 elementary schools actively participating in Gold Medal Schools. Find out if your school (or your child’s school) is one of them.
See a list of all participating schools. |
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| School Health Facts |
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One in every four Utah students grades K-8 is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. That is enough students to fill 124 elementary schools, or 2,067 classrooms.
With obesity on the rise among children, schools have become the ideal place to teach students about physical activity and nutrition. Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher identified schools as a key setting to prevent and decrease the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Schools can provide many opportunities to engage children in healthy eating and physical activity and to reinforce healthy diet and physical activity messages.
All of these healthy habits combined can also produce better overall mental health, self-esteem, and academic success.
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| Where Can I Learn More? |
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Look through The GMS Guide for detailed information about completing each criterion.
For more information please contact:
Sarah Rigby, GMS Coordinator
801-538-9454
srigby@utah.gov |
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| Our Partners Include: |
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A Healthier You
All 12 Utah local health departments
Utah County Gold Medal Schools Blog
PEHP Healthy Utah
Utah PTA
Utah State Office of Education
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Utah Department of Health
-Asthma
-Cancer
-Diabetes
-Environmental Quality
-Tobacco Prevention
-Violence & Injury Prevention
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