Arizona Department of Education partners with nonprofit founded by Dr. Oz

The Arizona Department of Education is partnering with a nonprofit co-founded by daytime TV celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz to offer optional health education programming to schools.

Arizona is HealthCorps’ only state partner. Oz visited Kenilworth Elementary School in central Phoenix on Monday to announce the partnership alongside retired National Football League players and education officials.

“Young people tell us they don’t feel like they control anything; they don’t make any real important decisions. Well, you do make one big one, which is about your body,” said Oz, HealthCorps' board of directors chair. “If you can change what’s happening in your body, you can change the world outside it.”

What is HealthCorps?

HealthCorps places peer mentors from Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University in low-resourced, high-needs middle and high schools. College mentors lead clubs about mental and physical health challenges facing students’ local communities. Then, the students research and develop solutions to a health challenge, which they present to the rest of their school campus.

Students have created TikTok dance challenges, 5K runs, fitness field days and community gardens as solutions projects.

“It’s really about giving them the tools to make real change, not just talking about it,” HealthCorps CEO Amy Braun said.

Nearly 90% of participating students implement at least one health behavior change after taking part in the program, such as drinking enough water in a day to stay properly hydrated or making exercise a routine, according to the nonprofit.

The organization works with schools and organizations in eight states, according to Braun. That includes four “partner sites” in Arizona.

“We needed help," said Kenilworth Principal Anthony Pietrangeli. "We don’t have the resources without HealthCorps to reach as far into these students’ homes.”

The education department will promote HealthCorps on its online educator platform and through the work of the Arizona Education Economics Commission, an initiative developed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne to foster workforce development through industry collaboration.

“Dr. Oz and I share a passion for having health and wellness; and we need to do as much as possible to teach and encourage healthy eating habits, exercise, and other lifestyle choices that promote the physical and mental well-being of students,” Horne said in a news release. “HealthCorps shares my focus on that mission as well as the value of giving students opportunities to explore careers in the health care field, where workers are badly needed.”

Who is Dr. Oz?

Oz gained notoriety for his syndicated daytime talk show that ran for 13 seasons from 2009 through 2022.

“The Dr. Oz Show” won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards during its run, with Oz personally receiving four Emmys for his hosting.

Critics, however, accused the doctor of broadcasting controversial medical advice not grounded in research. A 2014 U.S. Senate panel scolded Oz for supporting “dubious weight-loss products,” and in 2015 a group of doctors sent a letter to Columbia University demanding Oz be fired due in part to his controversial endorsements. Oz said his show shares multiple points of view so the public can make their own decisions.

In 2020, Oz, like then-President Donald Trump, supported the use of a lupus and arthritis drug for the treatment of COVID-19 even though there was no scientific backing for doing so.

“The Dr. Oz Show” ended in 2022 when Oz launched an unsuccessful election campaign as the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for a Pennsylvania seat in the U.S. Senate. Oz lost to Democrat John Fetterman.

Dr. Oz, NFL pros visit Phoenix school

HealthCorps announced two partnerships this week: one with the Arizona Department of Education and another with the National Football League Alumni Association.

“We’re partnering with the Arizona Department of Education to make sure that we can bring the best ideas out there to help these young people,” Oz said. “I think one of the best ways to do that is to have the best ambassadors. Who could beat the NFL pros?”

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Darryl Clack, former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Wesley Leasy and former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery joined Oz at Kenilworth Elementary. The four men spoke to children about the importance of healthy habits and led them in brief exercises.

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Leasy told students he was limited by poor eyesight as a child in small-town Mississippi because he didn’t know he had a problem. He encouraged children to speak up when they think something is wrong and to educate themselves as best they can on their health.

“We didn’t have the health system that we needed in place to really address the issues … that affected my ability to go to school, make good grades,” Leasy said. HealthCorps "brings forth opportunities for thousands of children, the nation, the state of Arizona and so many others to bridge this gap between people who have health care and people who do not.”

Reach the reporter at nicholas.sullivan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona education department partners with nonprofit founded by Dr. Oz