Fauquier County, VA (January 10, 2023) – The start of the new year brings new opportunities to improve on the last and find ways to grow. Fauquier County Public Schools (FCPS) kicked off the new year by strengthening their Student Wellness Policy to ensure that all Fauquier students can practice healthy hydration behaviors while on campus. This updated policy was developed in collaboration with local Fauquier High School students as part of the Rev Your Bev campaign, a statewide initiative of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) that is supported by its youth-led program Y Street.
Research has consistently proven that water is the healthiest beverage choice as it acts as fuel for your body. Since 2013, Rev Your Bev and Y Street have devoted and sustained efforts to spread healthy hydration messages to help individuals make drinking water a habit and improve Virginians’ overall health. Fauquier County’s new Student Wellness Policy now ensures students will not only have access during the school day, but before and after as well. This will guarantee that students participating in extracurricular activities will be able to stay safe and hydrated. Additionally, the new policy will allow all students the opportunity to bring their own water bottles to class, encouraging them to stay hydrated throughout the day. This policy is especially notable because as a new Rev Your Bev partner, the division will be gifted 1,000 water bottles to be distributed to students.
Y Street members like Fauquier High School sophomore Lincoln Taylor are committed to supporting their school divisions’ efforts to maintain a positive, healthy learning environment with Lincoln participating in school board meetings to encourage the adoption of the new Student Wellness Policy. “Hydration is vital to the success of students and can improve academic performance. As a student, I find it easier to concentrate and perform when I am adequately hydrated. For many students, schools are their only reliable source of meals and or possibly even drinkable water.”
With the new water access policies in place, FCPS now shifts its focus to implementation. The Rev Your Bev campaign will continue to work closely with FCPS to ensure that the updated Student Wellness Policy is implemented efficiently and effectively. The campaign will also assist the division in communicating the policy to the school community.
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About the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY)
Established in 1999 by the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth empowers Virginia’s youth to make healthy choices by reducing and preventing youth tobacco and nicotine use, substance use, and childhood obesity. VFHY takes a comprehensive approach to prevention work that includes reaching about 50,000 children each year through classroom-based prevention programs in public schools, after-school programs, community centers, day cares and prevention programs across the state. VFHY’s award-winning marketing campaigns deliver prevention messaging to more than 500,000 children annually. In addition, VFHY’s research program provides scientific insight on methods to effectively reduce tobacco use. Since 2002, VFHY has funded 40 large research projects at universities throughout Virginia. For more information, visit www.vfhy.org.
