Six Texas Schools And Superior HealthPlan Celebrate No One Eats Alone Day

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For a second straight year, Superior HealthPlan joined middle schools across Texas for a positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion.

Superior hosted assemblies in honor of No One Eats Alone Day, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences. More than 2,000 students participated in activities designed to teach about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student's health and academic performance. Students put the lesson into action by sitting with their peers at lunch who they don't know, or who may feel left out. They were given ice breaker topics to discuss to highlight their commonalities.

These assemblies were held at the following schools:

• Arp Junior High School, Arp, TX
• B. Garza Middle School, Weslaco, TX
• Crockett Middle School, Odessa, TX
• Manor Middle School, Manor, TX
• San Augustine ISD, San Augustine, TX
• Wester Elementary, Lubbock, TX

"Social cohesion is an important factor as it relates to social determinants of health," said Mark Sanders, Superior HealthPlan President and CEO. "Children that are more socially engaged tend to have improved holistic health and better academic performance. We hope that by partnering with with these schools and Beyond Differences, we can give every child an opportunity to be healthy and successful."

Social isolation has been identified as a precursor to bullying, self harm and community violence. Students have shown that given the tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders.

"Social isolation is a preventable public health problem affecting millions of children every day who suffer in silence," says Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. "We've learned through teachers and families that No One Eats Alone is a powerful step and positive initiative that can change the culture in schools to be a more welcoming place for all."

These schools were among more than 2,000 across the country that celebrated No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than 1 million students.

No One Eats Alone is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation. 

About Superior
Austin-based Superior HealthPlan is a managed care company that employs more than 3,400 people across nine Texas offices. Superior is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. Superior is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance and is a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Texas Health Insurance Marketplace. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

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SOURCE Superior HealthPlan