NEWS RELEASE
Building Healthy Communities Helps More Than 39,000 Michigan Students Strengthen Nutrition Habits, Stay Active and Thrive
Teddy Lemmer
| 2 min read
DETROIT, Oct. 26, 2026 — Sixty-eight Michigan schools serving 39,328 students have been selected to participate in Building Healthy Communities: Step Up for School Wellness during the 2026-2027 school year. Since 2009, Building Healthy Communities (BHC) has impacted 615,000 students in more than 1,400 Michigan schools.
The BHC program helps schools create healthier environments that support the well-being of students and staff. Through a five-step model, participating schools can select from 18 resources based on their individual needs, with resources supporting nutrition, physical activity, mental health and well-being. Depending on their selected resources, students may take movement breaks during the school day, participate in walk-run programs, choose new nutrient-rich menu items at breakfast or lunch, learn practical nutrition skills or lead peer-to-peer mental health awareness efforts.
“Healthy habits developed early in life can have an impact that extends well beyond the classroom,” said Tiffany Albert, senior vice president of Community Relations and chief inclusion officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “Building Healthy Communities gives students opportunities to build healthy nutrition habits, be more physically active, and address mental health and well-being as part of their school day. For more than 39,000 students this school year, those experiences can help shape healthier lives and stronger communities across Michigan.”
These efforts align with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Power Your Health initiative, which helps Michiganians take charge of their health through practical, informed choices. BHC’s focus on nutrition education and creating healthy school environments gives students, educators and families resources and tools they can use at school and at home.
Building Healthy Communities is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Wayne State University Center for Health and Community Impact, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Department of Education, the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, Michigan Recreation and Park Association and OK2SAY.
The full 2026-2027 Building Healthy Communities: Step Up for School Wellness school roster can be found here.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies residing outside the state. The company has been committed to delivering affordable healthcare products through a broad variety of plans for businesses, individuals and seniors for more than 80 years. Beyond healthcare coverage, BCBSM supports impactful community initiatives and provides leadership in improving healthcare. For more information, visit bcbsm.com and MIBlueDaily.com.
