It's All About Choices

Five TCC campus locations and the District office are now Blue Zones Project Approved worksites—the first college and first system-wide organization to earn recognition by Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth.

“Blue Zones Project is proud to have TCC join the movement to help make Fort Worth one of the healthiest cities in the country," said Matt Dufrene, vice president of Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth. “As the first college to earn this recognition by Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth, TCC has made a substantial commitment to the well-being of its employees and demonstrated a leadership role in this community.”

Blue Zones Project is a community-led well-being initiative designed to make healthy choices easier for the Fort Worth community. Blue Zones Project is patterned after lifestyles in the world’s Blue Zones areas, where people live measurably longer, healthier lives.

Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth receives strong support from the City of Fort Worth, Mayor Betsy Price, the chambers of commerce and multiple businesses and community leaders.

“Blue Zone Project is important to Fort Worth because healthy communities make for engaged, vibrant cities that attract businesses and families and support economic development,” Price said. “It’s exciting to see non-profits, schools, faith communities and businesses working to find ways to increase the well-being of citizens by making the healthy choice the easy choice in Fort Worth.”

During a Leadership Fort Worth class in 2015, Raymond Pfang, assistant to the president at South Campus, learned about the City’s efforts to promote healthy living through a Blue Zones Project presentation.

“I shared with my boss, President Peter Jordan, about Blue Zones and suggested South Campus help Mayor Price promote healthy living by becoming the first college in Fort Worth to become an approved Blue Zones Project site,” Pfang said. “Jordan is keen to collaborate and support our community partners and told me to go for it.”

Pfang connected with Blue Zones Project and facilitated the first meeting.

In order to achieve Blue Zones Project approval, each TCC campus was considered a separate worksite, fulfilling requirements from the Blue Zones Project Worksite Pledge. Campuses selected best practices to implement in a variety of areas, such as physical environments, employee engagement and leadership.

TCC’s initiatives focus on changing environments and mindsets. The College provides opportunities for movement and de-stressing in employees’ routines, healthier and tastier food options on campus and building networks among colleagues. A faculty or staff member on each campus, deemed the Blue Zones champion, works with internal teams to engage their campus in these initiatives. As a community-led organization, Blue Zones hopes to see as many individuals engaged as possible.

More than 25 percent of TCC employees signed the Blue Zones Project Personal Pledge. Employees who take the personal pledge agree to implement small changes to increase wellness, extend life expectancy and reduce stress.

Those who took the pledge began participating in Blue Zones Walking Moias, small groups that walk together each week. At the end of each 10-week walking period, Blue Zones comes to TCC to bring together Moai participants for a celebration and to present awards to groups that walked the most.

In an effort to get people moving outside of the walking Moais, the South Campus designated Blue Zones parking spaces further away in the parking lots. Once employees caught on, the spaces filled quickly and South plans to add even more.

“The parking spots are a great example of TCC looking at a simple task like parking, making a new infrastructure, then encouraging employees to make a healthy choice,” said Blue Zones Project Executive Director Jan Titsworth. “People are now changing their habits to become more purposeful – getting in steps and moving naturally.”

TCC also kicked off Potluck Moias, groups that gather over the course of 10 weeks to socialize and share healthy, plant-based meals for lunch. Blue Zones around the world do not necessarily avoid meat altogether, but indulge in meat less often and in smaller portions. Their diet is richer in fruits and vegetables.

Blue Zones Project provides Moai groups with plant-based recipes, taking cultural and regional preferences into consideration. Knowing people have favorite types of comfort food they gravitate toward, Blue Zones Project provides healthy, plant-based alternatives for those choices. Blue Zones Project is continually adding to the recipe repertoire on their website and in newsletters. They also host cooking demonstrations at TCC with healthy recipes from local chefs and organizations.

Each campus has multiple Moai groups consisting of six to eight members and a captain who stays in touch with Blue Zones. Many Moais have found that colleagues continue to walk and eat together beyond the 10-week period, fostering true friendships.

“The Moai groups bring together various departments who may not have otherwise met,” said Thanh (Katie) Pham, Information Center specialist. “I’ve made new friends through our Moai group at the Trinity River Campus. We are definitely continuing our potluck lunches after the 10-week period ends.”

Pham is originally from Vietnam and appreciates Blue Zones featuring a variety of recipes from different cultures.

“I’ve learned a lot about different foods and look for new things to try at home. Blue Zones has opened my eyes to healthier, tastier alternatives. I look at food differently now!”

Thanh (Katie) Pham

Laceilia Francois, senior office assistant and member of Pham’s Moai group, agrees, “Trying plant-based recipes has put me on a bit of an adventure, both seeking out new ingredients and preparing new dishes. I’ve enjoyed trying foods I have never tried before.”

It is never too late to join the Blue Zones movement at TCC, as friends are always welcome at the activities, and are encouraged to take the pledge.

“I encourage all of TCC to join or support Blue Zones,” said Pfang. “Supervisors are in a position to encourage their staff to participate and give them time to. Why? What is good for the individual is good for the organization!”