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The Center for Health and Human Services

Blue Raiders Drink Up 2.0: Healthy Choices for Healthy Students

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Background

As of July 1, 2019 MTSU began implementing exciting and engaging activities as part of a three-year grant award in a proactive effort to help students learn how to make wiser beverage decisions and to live healthy lifestyles. As part of the Tennessee Department of Health’s ongoing Project Diabetes initiative, the agency awarded more than $444,000 to MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services to implement “Blue Raiders Drink Up: Healthy Choices for Healthy Students.” The purpose is to reduce overweight and obesity as risk factors for the development of diabetes through prevention activities as well as to implement policy changes on campus that support healthy living. As of summer 2022, the BRDU pilot project ended and was an incredible success. Under the first three-year grant pilot project, the center’s BRDU program reached more than 3,700 students with more than 300 taking part in cooking classes, more than 650 engaging in one-on-one counseling and another 2,722 participating in tabling events, social media outreach and online programming.    

Current News

CHHS received notification Summer 2022  that new grant funding through the Tennessee Department of Health’s Project Diabetes Initiative was awarded, allowing BRDU 2.0 to be launched beginning July 2022 and which will continue through 2025.   In addition to 24 campus based activities per year, cooking classes, and access to counseling sessions with a health coach, dietitian, and personal trainer, the BRDU 2.0 grant will provide partnership activities to support the work of the Raider Food Pantry and also will support development of a Healthy Vending Taskforce which will work towards policy change for healthier vending machine options on campus.  The nine water refill stations installed as part of the pilot project will be increased through BRDU 2.0 with additional stations being installed, and with all incoming students receiving maps of where these stations are.  All students seeking health services will have  their body mass index checked and when appropriate referred to a registered dietitian, health coach, or personal trainer. 

To learn more about this exciting project, take a look at the media release announcing the launch of BRDU 2.0, as well as the pilot project grant announcement and press release.  Follow CHHS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram to learn more about the activities taking place throughout 2022-2025.  This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee Project Diabetes Initiative.


Students – Want to learn more about free counseling sessions with a dietitian as part of our grant?  Click here to learn more and to register.  Want a map of where to find refill stations? Click here for a downloadable MTSU Water Refill Station Map.


Current Openings for Blue Raiders Drink Up 2.0


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