Nursing interest spurs Greensburg Salem senior to organize wellness workshop for school staff

Greensburg Salem senior Kaitlyn Mankins’ senior project has done more than just fulfill a high school graduation requirement. It’s also provided a boost to the well-being of the entire district staff.

District teachers and staff took a break from their in-service workday Monday to attend a workshop organized by Mankins, where they had the opportunity to learn tips and techniques for promoting their health and wellness.

Mankins said the project provided her a tangible way to thank Greensburg Salem teachers. She said she hopes it will help them “become more educated on all the resources that are available to support their health and wellness goals.”

Staff from the district’s three elementary schools spent Monday morning rotating among 20-minute sessions at the high school, where they were coached in yoga poses; got pointers on heart health, nutrition and exercise; and learned about grief management and getting a good night’s sleep.

They also were able to take a swing at golf on a portable putting green supplied by Hannastown Golf Club.

The district’s secondary staff took their turn in the afternoon.

The district partnered with local Independence Health System to offer the health and wellness workshop, initiated by Mankins.

“It can be easy to overlook one’s health when focusing on others,” said Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer for Independence Health. “This event is an opportunity for teachers and staff to make their good health a priority and perhaps learn some new strategies from our clinicians for managing stress and coping with loss, as well as refresh their knowledge of what makes for a healthy heart and restful sleep.”

Among their requirements for graduating, every Greensburg Salem student must complete a senior project, working on their own time, that involves a learning stretch and ties in with a career of their choosing.

Monday’s workshop was an outgrowth of Mankins’ interest in pursuing a career in nursing, possibly as a nurse anesthetist.

“My mom had breast cancer a couple of years ago,” Mankins said. “I would go to her appointments with her and interact with the nurses. That inspired me to go into the field.”

Her mother, Lisa, now is cancer-free, but Mankins’ interest in nursing continues.

Planning the Greensburg Salem wellness event “was a really big collaboration,” Mankins said.

Mankins received guidance from her project adviser, recently retired social studies instructor Lucy Iapalucci, as she reached out to Independence Health.

District Superintendent Ken Bissell distributed a survey to faculty during a previous in-service day, to determine the wellness areas that most interested them. Mankins plans to conduct a follow-up survey to see how the district staffers have benefited from the workshop.

She obtained donations from several area businesses to make the workshop possible.

“As an athlete, I have always made physical wellness a priority,” Mankins said. “Doing this project has expanded my knowledge to include mental and spiritual health as well.”

A forward/center with the Greensburg Salem girls varsity basketball squad, Mankins has committed to attending D’Youville University in Buffalo, N.Y.