Education Cabinet
Ky Tech System accepts Governor’s “Get Healthy Challenge”

The Office of Career and Technical Education in the Education Cabinet has accepted Governor Ernie Fletcher’s Get Healthy Kentucky Challenge. 

The goal is to help the more than 650 employees located in OCTE’s 55 area technology centers across the state, which comprise the Ky Tech System, better understand the benefits of participating in a health and physical activity program.  Ky Tech centers provide career and technical education for secondary students.

The six-week program will kick-off Sept. 10 with special activities in many of the state’s area technology centers.

Walking, running, biking, exercise programs, school-wide weight loss programs and cooking for a healthy diet are examples of what employees have planned.

OCTE decided to accept the Get Healthy Kentucky Governor’s Challenge when Floyd County Area Technology Center Principal Lenville Martin lost his secretary to cancer this past summer. 

“When this happened, we knew that we could not do anything for her, but we could start a program to help others become more aware of healthy lifestyles,” said Martin. “I hope the Get Healthy Kentucky Governor’s Challenge will benefit all our employees across the state.”

The Get Healthy Kentucky project was created to help Kentuckians develop a healthier lifestyle.  The educational model focuses on nutrition, physical activity and tobacco cessation.

Through the Governor's Challenge, individuals choose from more than 100 activities to become and remain physically active.  Progress is tracked on individual activity logs.

“We contacted the Governor’s Office of Wellness and Physical Activity.  Once they explained the Governor’s Challenge program to us, we knew it would meet our needs,” said OCTE Deputy Executive Director Mike Kindred.  “We believe that sharing a mutual interest in personal health and education makes the Kentucky Tech school system a better place for employees to work.” 

Chris Corbin, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Wellness and Physical Activity, said, “We are excited to partner with the Office of Career and Technical Education and the area technology centers to launch a six-week Governor’s physical activity challenge. This is a great opportunity for the schools to adopt the Get Healthy Kentucky message and challenge one another to a little healthy competition.” 

For more information on how you can join the Governor’s Challenge, visit the Get Healthy Kentucky web site at http://www.gethealthy.ky.gov/

(30)

OCTE is an agency of the Kentucky Education Cabinet which coordinates learning programs from P-16, and manages and supports training and employment functions in the Department for Workforce Investment. For more information on our programs, visit www.educationcabinet.ky.gov, or www.workforce.ky.gov, or call 502-564-6606.