Rainier School District has a long history of prioritizing student well-being, and, over the years, have shown the same commitment to their staff. In 2015, their district School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) expanded to focus on employee well-being.
Their commitment to staff well-being made them an excellent candidate for our Education Employee Well-Being (EEW) Grant program. Over five years in the program, Rainier built a robust staff-led program with strong leadership support. Hosting fun runs, creating calm rooms for staff, and participating in mindfulness-based professional development helped to build a culture of well-being amongst all staff.
Since every well-being program needs support at times, Rainier School District entered the Sustainability Grant program after graduating from the EEW Grant program. With this funding, Rainier SD was able to provide the following and more:
- Walking challenges
- Trivia Nights
- Yoga and strength classes
- Personal training time
- Additional equipment for the weight room, for staff use
- Creation of a calm room for staff
- Stress balls and fidget kits
- Weekly Mindfulness Mondays
- Freezer meal classes
From a coordinator standpoint, it has been exciting watching our district around wellness. I feel we have really changed the culture in our district over the past six years.We observe staff taking moments for wellness through out the day, which reinforces our culture of wellness.
Changes have been made to create a more supportive and healthier workplace environment. Activities that have supported this include walking meetings and meditation and mindfulness activities are encouraged.
From our staff survey, people feel they have improved life/work balance, are more physically active, are eating healthier more often, improved sleep, and are physically stronger and more flexible.
– Debby Webster, Rainier SD Wellness Coordinator
