Educational Partnership: Synergy Women's Fitness Club and Howard High School

Concern about the detrimental effects of inactivity among the young was the catalyst for Synergy Women's Fitness Club's partnership with Howard High School. Synergy president and owner Charmaine B. Gordon and Howard High principal Mary Day collaborated on the partnership initiative to improve the health and well-being of both students and staff.

Day's vision is to develop a highly motivated, energized, physically fit staff who realize the relationship between physical fitness, longevity and learning. She was looking for role models for her students, as well, and Gordon fit the bill perfectly.

Using an innovative approach, Gordon and Day jointly launched "Fit Happens" week at Howard High last fall, starting with a staff and faculty workout and continuing with aerobics classes for students after school hours in the high school's gymnasium. In addition to the exercise workouts, Day coordinated smoking-cessation classes, strength contests, lunch walks, jump rope contests and nutrition workshops.

It probably wouldn't have happened if Howard High's educational partner hadn't "adopted" the school and made a commitment to provide instruction for male and female students on-site.

Gordon sees the educational partnership as a way of furthering her holistic approach to health and fitness. "We're talking about life," she points out, noting that exercise and weight management are essential to good health. Putting students through the paces of her energetic aerobics class enables her to communicate that fitness can be fun and that being young does not necessarily mean you're in shape, as students learned when they had trouble keeping up with the charismatic club owner.

In addition to "Fit Happens" week, Synergy staff will continue to provide physical fitness opportunities and information through on-site seminars, classes and mentoring. Gordon has agreed to serve as a "exercise consultant" to the high school and will work with physical education and health teachers on an "as needed" basis.

Synergy will also host visits by teachers from other schools in February, as part of a program to bring educators into the work place to see businesses in action and meet with owners and staff.

Synergy Women's Fitness Club is located at Columbia 100 Parkway, between Routes 108 and 100. Howard High School is its neighbor on Route 108.