Scottsdale Community College (SCC) is proud to announce it has officially been recognized as a Blue Zones Project Approved™ Worksite. This designation highlights SCC’s dedication to improving the health and well-being of its employees by making the healthy choice the easier choice. To commemorate this milestone, SCC held a special certificate presentation and ribbon-cutting event today.
Blue Zones Project® worksites are part of a community-wide well-being initiative that leverages secrets from the world’s longest-lived cultures to enhance longevity and quality of life. To earn this distinction, SCC completed a rigorous, months-long approval process, implementing best practices designed to optimize the workplace environment.
Key initiatives implemented by SCC include:
- A one-mile Artie Walk (named after SCC mascot Artie the Artichoke) that takes place every workday on campus, in which all faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to participate.
- SCC’s Fitness & Wellness Center offers a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility with extensive fitness equipment, resources, and personal instruction.
- Health, fitness, and nutrition presentations by SCC faculty that focus on teaching employees healthy lifestyle principles.
- Weekly healthy lifestyle and Blue Zone principle communications shared out with SCC employees in the Daily Buzz.
- Engaging SCC employees with the new Personify system with healthy lifestyle challenges and District wellness programming.
- Improved healthy food selections at the campus cafeteria for our employees and students.
- Semester-long SCC Fitness Center memberships for students and employees for only $25.
- Wellness activities integrated into campus-wide events.
- SCC Health and Wellness Committee formed to bring forward healthy living initiatives for the campus community.
"We are incredibly proud to receive this Blue Zones Project Approval," said Dr. Eric Leshinskie, President of SCC. "This achievement reflects the commitment by our faculty, staff, and students to create a supportive, healthy, and engaging environment. By prioritizing our employees' well-being, we are not only boosting morale and productivity, but also fostering a stronger, more connected community".
The Blue Zones Project focuses on environmental changes – or "nudges" – to encourage healthier lifestyles, rather than relying solely on individual willpower. Worksites that achieve this status report higher employee engagement and lower health care costs.
“We're incredibly excited to add Scottsdale Community College to our growing number of Approved Worksites here in Scottsdale,” says Danielle Anderson, Organization & Well-Being Lead at Blue Zones Project Scottsdale. “Champions for the community and within the community, SCC not only exemplifies what it means to be approved, they are in a unique position to extend these same principals of health and well-being to the larger community.”
About Blue Zones Project:
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to environment, policy, and social networks. Founded on findings from the world’s longest-lived people, Blue Zones Project is brought to [City/County] through an innovative partnership with [Sponsor, e.g., Adventist Health] and Blue Zones, LLC. For more information, visit the Blue Zones Project® website.