Students in Patricia Skjoldahl’s child development course at the high school recently delivered a healthy message around the district, based on their research in the “Rethink Your Drink” lesson.

The high schoolers examined some of their favorite beverages – including Coca-Cola, Arizona ice tea and various Starbucks drinks – and converted the total grams of sugar in each drink to teaspoons. They then measured out the amounts of sugar and placed them in plastic baggies for easy visualization of just how much unhealthy sugar the beverages contain.

“Many of my students buy Arizona because it is affordable at 99 cents a can, but it has approximately 17 teaspoons of sugar,” said Skjoldahl, whose goal for the year is to engage students in healthy habits.  “We are trying to help individuals make informed decisions and raise awareness.”

The child development classes took their message to the district’s recent Health & Wellness Fair at the end of October, providing attendees with flavored seltzer as a substitute, and are now visiting other schools in the district to share the lesson with younger students.