Following a two day training funded by the ASB and PTSA, the Body Positive Club will train the majority of the faculty this coming year on how to help students battle their negative body image.

On March 7 and March 8, club president Caroline Noble and co-president Julia Cherner used the $2000 grant to take six of the club’s avid members to a 16-hour clinic that focused  on training them how to teach others to help keep people in the community stay positive about their bodies.

“At the club’s first meeting there were people sitting on floors, and on top of desks, because there were probably 60-70 people in the classroom. So if that’s any sign for how much this training is needed then that should tell us it’s necessary,” club member and teacher Erin Schneider said.

The club is named after the nonprofit organization Body Positive. The organization provided the training funded by the grant and acts as a model for many of the techniques that Noble uses to teach the students in her club.

“The training from Body Positive taught me and club representatives how to teach students to combat the negative messages that they often get through the media and the world and then learn how to overcome this and start to love themselves,” Noble said.

Noble started the Body Positive Club when she noticed how many girls were jeopardizing their health by skipping lunch in an attempt to lose weight. Noble herself suffered from bad body image in the 5th grade. She said that she is glad that her club  can teach girls and boys how to conquer what she once struggled with.

“In any community it is important that we understand what true health is and that we don’t let students get caught up in how the media shows size and weight,” Schneider said. “I think that is what the club hopes to achieve.”

The Body Positive Club meets every Monday during lunch in Room 280 and also offers insight from speakers of the Body Positive Organization.