The Marienhöhe School Center in Darmstadt promotes physical activity, healthy nutrition, and a balanced working environment for teachers. For these efforts, it has been recognized with the overall certificate "Health-Promoting School" by the Hessian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs.
The certificate was presented on August 27 by the Hessian State Secretary for Education, Dr. Manuel Lösel, as announced by the school center. This is already the third award for the Marienhöhe School Center as a Health-Promoting School, following recognitions in 2010 and 2015. Previously, the school had already acquired partial certificates in the areas of addiction and violence prevention, physical activity and perception, nutrition and consumption, as well as teacher health.
Dr. Lösel, a former teacher himself, emphasized the central importance of teacher health: “If teachers are not healthy, then school does not function. What you do here every day is quite intense. Often, the most basic needs are put aside—at the expense of one’s own health.” He referred to the overall certificate as a “thank you and motivation” to keep health in focus.
Healthy Learning at the Marienhöhe School Center
The Marienhöhe School Center is supported by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and includes an elementary school, a secondary school, a high school, and a boarding school. It offers education up to the Abitur and places great emphasis on holistic development. For years, the school center has focused on concepts for promoting movement, stress prevention, and healthy living. The park-like campus, with its extensive green areas, play and sports facilities, is utilized not only during breaks but also actively integrated into the lessons.
In addition to traditional sports, the school offers various opportunities for physical activity: summer sports weeks, project weeks focused on movement, hiking days, and sports-oriented school trips are part of the program, along with incentives for active mobility. As an official Bike School of bikepool Hessen e.V., the Marienhöhe School Center supports environmentally friendly travel by bicycle and teaches safe and responsible cycling, as stated in the school’s announcement. Consequently, the bicycle parking facilities on campus have been significantly expanded.
Promoting Teacher Health
Teacher health also receives attention: ergonomic workstations, rest areas, training on resilience and stress management, as well as a lived work-life balance are part of the overall concept. Regular risk assessments, peer consultations, and offerings such as teacher sports and JobRad underscore the commitment to a sustainable health culture, according to the announcement.
“Our goal is to create a holistic living space in which learning, movement, and well-being go hand in hand,” emphasizes the school management. The 10-hectare campus, a large part of which is designed as green space and learning areas, provides ideal conditions with sports facilities, a school garden, and a natural environment.
The overall certificate confirms the continuous work of the school center—this is a strong signal for the importance of health promotion in daily school life.
Marienhöhe School Center
Founded in 1924 as the “Seminar Marienhöhe,” the Marienhöhe School Center in Darmstadt has had a state-recognized high school since 1950. The secondary school followed in 1993, and the elementary school in 2010. Approximately 800 students are taught in 44 classes by 84 teachers. The school campus covers an area of 40,000 square meters. The school celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
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