Ruth Lilly Health Education at Marian University is an academic collaborative organization providing instruction in general health, substance abuse prevention, nutrition, sports fitness, and human growth and development for children and adults of central Indiana. Its programs enhance the health curriculum of Indiana schools through experiential learning. Programming is delivered in a classroom environment to 500 schools statewide. Ruth Lilly Health Education teaches healthy lifestyles and helps young people cope with peer pressure and other stressful conditions.

An adult points out a display to a group of children.
Elementary school children tour the Ruth Lilly Center for Health Education, 1989 Credit: Indianapolis News View Source

The program began in 1989 at the Ruth Lilly Health Education Center. It was previously located on land provided by Methodist Hospital, funded by Lilly Endowment, inc., the largest hospital in the city, and a lead gift of $1 million from Ruth Lilly. Within three years, over 184,000 students, ages 4 to 94, had attended programs at the center.

The Ruth Lilly Center for Health Education merged with Marian University in 2014 to become Ruth Lilly Health Education. Lilly Endowment granted over $940,000 to assist with the integration. Students of Marian University’s schools of Education and Exercise Science now pursue the development of “distinctive opportunities for research in educational, neuroscience, literacy, STEM education, and special education.” 

With the move to Marian University, Ruth Lilly Health Education brings education programs directly to students in their home classrooms, rather than through school field trips. Ruth Lilly Health Education has reached over 2 million participants since its founding.

Revised February 2021
 

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