Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

NAB have announced Schools First Awards, designed to bring together students, teachers and communities to fund innovative projects:

Impact Awards

The Impact Awards are for those school–community partnerships that can demonstrate improved student outcomes as a result of their partnership.

There are up to 60 local awards of $50,000 each and eight State/Territory Awards of $100,000 each. A national prize of $500,000 to $1 million will be awarded to a truly exceptional school-community partnership that is able to demonstrate outstanding performance against the Award criteria and a compelling strategy for using the funds.

Schools wishing to apply for an Impact Award will need to demonstrate:

1. The partnership was set up to address an identified need or opportunity aimed at improving student outcomes
2. A plan was developed with each partner contributing to the plan.
3. A program was successfully implemented
4. Student outcomes were improved as a result of the partnership program
5. The partnership is sustainable and has become part of the culture and planning activities of each partner organisation.

Schools must also include information regarding proposed use of funding.

Seed Funding Awards

The Seed Funding Awards are for those schools that are either in the process of setting up a partnership or in the early stages of the partnership and are seeking funding to help the partnership develop further.

For the Seed Funding Awards there will be up to 20 Awards with a value of up to $25,000 each.

To be considered for a Seed Funding Award, a school must demonstrate:

1. The partnership is being set up to address an identified need or opportunity aimed at improving student outcomes
2. A plan is either being developed or will be developed with each partner contributing to the plan
3. A well-organised program will be implemented
4. The potential that student outcomes will be improved as a result of the partnership program
5. The partnership can be sustained and will become part of the culture and planning activities of each partner organisation.

Schools must also include information regarding proposed use of funding.

A new program launched in conjunction with MEND and the Victorian Government:

Kids-Life! is a Victorian Government Initiative to enrich the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of children. For the first time in Central West Gippsland, the project is offering free healthy lifestyle courses for children aged 5 to 12 years and their parents and/or carers. Once registered, families participate in either an individualised or group support program. The group sessions by are facilitated by qualified MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it!) trainers, commencing mid July 2009.

In the MEND program families take part in fun 2-hour sessions, twice a week for 10 weeks.  Accurate health information provided by health professionals supports families to improve their eating and exercise habits, thereby improving children’s fitness, physical activity levels, nutrition and self-esteem. Thanks to funding from the Department of Human Services, three courses with 12 places worth up to $800 per child are being offered to families completely free of charge on a first come first served basis.

The MEND Program is an evidence based healthy lifestyle program for children above their ideal weight and their families. Rather than focusing on weight loss, the Program uses a practical interactive learning approach to teach children and parents weight management skills. This includes inspiring families to adopt a healthier lifestyle and enjoy preparing and eating healthy foods as well as reading food labels and healthy shopping on a budget.  There are also simple but exciting sessions which focus on making exercise fun again – especially for children who are not fans of traditional school sports.

Today is Walk to School Day!

Today and Aussie Apples are running a competition to find Australia’s Healthiest School. Here the skinny:

All you have to do is film a 60 second video showing us why your school is the healthiest school in Australia and you must include apples in your video.

See here for more info. Entries close 22 May 2009.

UPDATE: Winner announced (with video).

Applications are now open for Fresh Food Kids Community Grants (receive up to $5,000). Apply here:

I will be running in the 14.7km Run For The Kids event on April 5, 2009 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Please join in! Or feel free to donate to Team Zippeddy at  http://www.everydayhero.com.au/zippeddy

Apparently obesity rates have levelled off over the last decade:

Professor Tim Olds, from Uni SA, says one in five children is still battling with weight issues, but that is no greater than a decade ago.

“If you had a look at the data until certainly the early 2000s and you put them all together, it really did look as if things were increasing exponentially - there was a runaway increase in overweight and obesity,” he said.

“So it’s not that these people misinterpreted the data, it’s just that recent data has shown a change in the pattern.

“When we put all those studies together, and they encompass about 70-80,000 children, what we noticed was there was a very clear flattening out of the prevalence the rate of overweight and obesity in children, it started in the late 90s and it’s continued until today.”

Professor Olds was quick to point out that the survey did not mean childhood obesity was not a serious problem in Australia.

I have to take issue with ABC Online’s headline: “Rising childhood obesity a myth: study.” I saw no mention Professor Olds that rising childhood obesity levels are a myth - he still acknowledges that it is still a problem. So it’s not surprising that we get the counter headline and article not two hours later:

Childhood obesity no myth: health expert

Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute of W-A, Mike Daube says the claims are ludicrous.

He says childhood obesity is still a serious problem and now fears people could become complacent.

“Of course it can’t keep increasing exponentially, you know there comes a stage where it has to plateau out but if it’s plateauing out at the height of Everest rather than the height of Bluff Knoll then we need to do something about it,” he said.

“There is are real risk that we say, well the problem isn’t increasing as fast as it was so there isn’t a problem and that’s the wrong way to look at it.

“What we need to say is we have a massive problem if it’s plateauing that’s encouraging but we still have an obesity epidemic.”

Spot the difference? There is none really, both Daube and Olds agree that it’s still a problem.

Earlier articles on obesity levelling off here and here.

NSW Government launches a pre-school programme:

Munch and Move is a fun, games-based program for NSW preschools.  It supports the healthy development of young children by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and reduced small screen time (TV, DVD, computers).

• Children will have the opportunity to engage in skills-based active play and learn about healthy choices through a range of learning experiences.
• Parent focused support materials, including fact sheets will provide simple tips and ideas for practising healthy, active behaviours at home .

The program is a joint initiative of the NSW Department of Health, the NSW Department of Community Services and The University of Sydney.

From The Age:

A NATIONAL campaign to combat obesity by using sports equipment to reward children who exercise for an hour a day will be discussed this week at a meeting of education ministers.

Under the plan, which is being introduced in the ACT this year, all schools would be invited to participate in a 10-week competition, with equipment given to children who successfully meet the challenge.

The exercise need not happen in one session and could be accumulated during the day by walking or riding to school, participating in physical education at school and sport after school and on weekends

I wonder though - wouldn’t children who want sport equipment are already motivated to play sports in the first place? In any case, as long as the competition is voluntary, this seems like a good idea.

It’s great to have a treadmill at home - sets a good example for the kids (provided it is actually used). Anyway, be careful:

SMALL children are getting their hands caught and their skin ripped off by home fitness treadmills