The Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds Institute (HBHM) is an annual, free professional development conference designed to help educators, school leaders, and youth-serving professionals create healthier, more equitable school environments. Hosted by the Pottstown Regional Community Foundation (PRCF), the Institute highlights wellness as a key driver of student success and school culture.
Since 2011, HBHM has equipped thousands of professionals across western Montgomery, northern Chester, and eastern Berks Counties with evidence-based tools to support physical, mental, and social-emotional wellbeing in schools.
Date: August 5, 2025
Location: Montgomery County Community College – Pottstown Campus
Theme: Holistic Wellness in Schools: Nourishing Minds and Bodies for Lifelong Success
Cost: Free to attend
Credit: Professional development hours available for PA educators
This year’s Institute returns to an in-person format, offering a full day of interactive sessions, expert presentations, and actionable resources.
9:00 AM -10:20 AM
AM Session
10:30 AM – 10:50 AM
short-byte (rapid learning session and physical activity offerings)
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch and Keynote
12:10 PM-1:00 PM
Collaborative Session
1:10 PM – 2:30 PM
PM Session
2:40 PM- 3:00 PM
Closing and Reflection
Explore how schools can serve as trusted hubs for partnerships with public agencies and organizations. Presentations will focus on collaborative strategies that center cultural relevance, student engagement, and family participation.
Sessions will explore strategies to foster emotional and psychological well-being in students and staff. Topics include trauma-informed practices, self-regulation, school-based interventions, and system-wide mental health supports.
Learn to embed nutrition, physical activity, and wellness into daily routines. Presenters will share best practices in promoting healthy habits, expanding food access, and integrating movement into learning environments.
Wellness impacts every aspect of learning. HBHM promotes a systems approach to education and health, recognizing that strong minds and bodies support stronger academic outcomes. The Institute empowers educators to:
Embed wellness into school operations and instruction
Strengthen cross-sector partnerships
Promote health equity through inclusive practices
True economic equity means that every individual, regardless of ZIP code, race, or income level, has fair access to the resources and opportunities that create wealth, wellbeing, and security. We focus our efforts in four interconnected areas, recognizing that progress in one supports growth in the others:
Montgomery County Community College – Pottstown Campus
This year, every gift can go twice as far thanks to a $50,000 matching opportunity. Your support fuels early action, resident-led solutions, and lasting community resources.
Emerging Needs Fund:
Help us respond early to new and growing challenges by piloting and expanding solutions before a problem becomes a crisis.
Pottstown Community Voices Grant Fund:
Power resident-led grantmaking that funds local projects shaped by lived experience and community priorities.
Diana Smith Memorial Endowment:
Support student loan debt relief for nurses and behavioral health professionals serving the Boyertown and Tri-County area.
Boyertown Pool Construction Fund:
Help restore and rebuild the Boyertown Pool by supporting essential repairs and improvements for long-term community use.
