Healthy School Recognized Campus

Green Ribbon of Health

Step Up Scale Down

About Step Up Scale Down

Step Up Scale Down is a 12-week wellness program for adults to improve their health and reduce chronic disease risk. Each class focuses on a topic related to goal setting, healthy eating, exercise, and navigating social scenarios to support your weight loss journey. Classes are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. Some of the learning goals of Step Up Scale Down are to:

  • Create realistic goals for your health
  • Increase how many fruits and vegetables you eat
  • Build skills related to meal planning, reading nutrition labels, identifying false food claims, and eating healthy while socializing with friends, family, & coworkers
  • Increase motivation for exercise and healthy eating

Step Up Scale Down can be done in-person, virtually, or a hybrid of both. Each class is about 1 hour long and led by an AgriLife Extension agent. There is a 15-minute check-in with a confidential weigh-in (in-person only) with a Dinner Tonight! recipe demo, a 20-30-minute health lesson, and a 5-minute weekly challenge.

Some programs charge a fee, usually $40 per person. The program can be available to staff-only or staff and parents/guardians, depending on the school’s preference. Some programs offer prizes for weekly challenges or completing the program.

Program Components

The program includes:

  • 12 1-hour classes
  • Handouts and recipes
  • Weekly challenge to “stay the course”
  • Weekly weight check-in (in-person only)
  • Exercise resources

To host a program, schools need:

  • Space to host (such as a cafeteria, classroom, or gym) with a power connection & (potentially) sound equipment

Additional Resources

Interested educators should connect with their county AgriLife Extension office for more information. Find their contact information here: https://counties.agrilife.org/

For more information about Step Up Scale Down, see these websites: