Recorded on November 18, 2022, we debriefed following the 2022 NREA conference and all the interesting activities during the conference. We discussed attendees' experiences, including cross-political discussion on how to address challenges in rural education. We also reminded the listeners that the 2023 conference will be in Chattanooga. This episode interviewed Tim Nikolai Senior Rural Health Director for American Heart Association. We discussed how a typical vaping device pod is equivalent to 20 cigarettes. Tim discusses the various health concerns facing rural schools. For example, we discussed the connection between mental and physical health. We discussed the role of obesity and other comorbidities and how tobacco may further contribute to healthcare outcomes. We discussed how the American Heart Association partners with school districts to address health concerns, including learning opportunities for students, teachers, and staff. We also discussed school health emergencies and the current statistics related to rural communities. Further, we discussed the socio-emotional issues in rural education, including the limited resources to help for students and school districts. We explored the role of making science accessible to rural communities in a consumable way. As Tim notes, making the healthy choice the easy choice not only in our own kitchens but also for school district policy as well. Tim Nikolai is the Sr. Rural Health Director for the American Heart Association in the 13-state Midwest Region. After growing up as an “Army Brat,” he graduated from Ripon College - in rural Wisconsin - with a degree in political science and secondary education. He has been with the Association for 14+ years in a variety of roles, many of which involved collaboration with school districts. In his current role, he works with organizations that are based in – or focused on – rural communities. This includes school districts, libraries, hospitals, community health centers, local health departments, and more. His work focuses on changing policies and systems from a barrier to health into a health asset. He lives north of Milwaukee with his wife and two kids. https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothynikolai Sponsors for today's episode My credential https://www.mycredential.com/ WinLearning https://www.winlearning.com/