Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

Virgin HealthMiles part of Richard Branson’s Virgin group is donating $6.3 million in donations to raise awareness of childhood obesity by partnering with Texan Governer Rick Perry:

For two weeks beginning January 1, 2009, Governor Perry and Texas executive agency leaders will compete with other governors and their respective state leadership in the Capitol Steps Challenge. Teams will compete head-to-head by tracking their daily activity, with a goal of achieving the highest average steps per person.

At the end of the Challenge, Virgin HealthMiles will declare the state team with the highest average steps per person as the Most Active Governor’s Team in the nation and will make a $50,000 donation to that state’s childhood obesity program. If the winning state chooses to participate in the second phase of Virgin HealthMiles’ obesity initiative, they can earn double all donations, increasing the total potential donation to $250,000.

 

The second phase of Virgin HealthMiles’ obesity initiative will be individual State Leadership Challenges, where teams of 250 individuals from state government offices across the U.S. embark on a year-long program to increase their physical activity — again leading by example to their constituents about the relationship between increased activity levels and improved wellness. Based on activity levels, states can earn donations of up to $125,000 toward their childhood obesity programs. More details on the State Leadership Challenge will be announced in early 2009.

More here.

I hope this helps:

The N.C. Division of Public Health announced yesterday that 14 community grants focusing on obesity have been awarded to county health departments across the state, including two in Northwest North Carolina.

Grants of $380,000 from the Childhood Obesity Prevention Project went to the Appalachian District Health Department for work focusing on Watauga County, as well as to the Cabarrus, Dare, Henderson and Moore county health departments.

Each group will run a comprehensive public-awareness campaign in conjunction with county bicycle and pedestrian plans, as well as programs in preschools and child-care centers, pediatrics practices, YMCAs, hospitals, schools and the faith community.

The division awarded an additional $150,000 in grants to nine other health departments and health districts in support of the Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina movement. They are Davidson, Buncombe, Carteret, Chatham, Durham, Granville/Vance, Lee, Wake and Warren counties.

The financed projects will build upon existing effective programs or will try new approaches to increasing healthy behaviors. The proposals ranged from workplace wellness programs to building parks and walking trails.

While public awareness campaigns are a positive thing, as with all marketing (which is effectively what awareness campaigns are), the results need to be measured to ensure citizens is getting a good return on tax payer dollars.

Keokuk Schools in Iowa boosts PE support:

The Keokuk schools landed a nearly $350,000 grant to beef up the weight room, provide aerobic fitness equipment and promote a more active lifestyle for students from kindergarten through high school.

The weight and aerobic equipment will not only help physical education students achieve better fitness. High school athletes will have more equipment for training.

The new equipment will be ordered in July. The high school will receive about $74,000 worth of weight lifting equipment such as free weights and non-aerobic machines. Delivery and installation will cost $7,100.

Aerobic equipment, such as treadmills, stairmasters, elliptical cross trainers and stationary bicycles and other machines also will be installed, worth about $63,000.

A major component of the grant is professional development for teachers relating to the new equipment along with funds for curriculum development.

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant also includes equipment to monitor cardio-vascular fitness, new lap top computers and PDAs (personal digital assistants) for P.E. teachers to collect data.

Keokuk Middle School and the elementary students are not left out.

Nearly $17,900 in new equipment is planned, including digital pedometers, body fat analyzers, digital scales, resistance tubes and exercise balls.

The middle school also will get aerobic fitness equipment such as stationary bicycles and stairmasters.

All K-12 physical education teachers will be involved in the grant using the new equipment and in training. Playground supervision staff also will receive training in after-school workshops. The focus will be to increase activities at K-5 recess.

I like this initiative as it actually does empower and enable students to use the fitness equipment. Good to also see a portion devoted to training teachers too.

One of the goals of this blog is to catalogue the numerous projects and activities designed to improve the health and well-being of children and hopefully inspire other communities to do the same. The Medica Foundation has released their projects for 2007 and listed below are their kid related projects:

• 2008 City of Lakes Loppet Event and Programming Initiative, $30,000 to support the 2008 event and incorporate a year-round program to educate youth and promote physical activity and involvement in the Tri-Loppet and Trail Loppet events for Minneapolis Public School Students. A project of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation.
• Fit Team for Kids, $30,000 for expansion of the Health Start School-Based Clinic comprehensive health and fitness program for low-income students at risk for obesity in three St. Paul high schools. A project of West-Side Community Health Services.
• Healthy Lifeways Project, $30,000 to utilize nutrition awareness and structured physical activity to reduce health disparities in American Indian youth. A project of Little Earth Residents Association.
• Bolder Options Health Habits Program, $30,000 to expand the Healthy Habits Mentoring Program to a satellite office at Dunwoody Institute to support North Minneapolis youth. A project of Bolder Options.
• Healthy Lifestyles for North Minneapolis Teens, $25,000 to expand health and wellness activities through the completion of a health assessment, referrals to a nutritionist, health educator or on-site clinic and by offering healthy food choices. A project of the Plymouth Christian Youth Center.
• Ready. Set. Action! Peer Education Model, $30,000 to develop a program by junior high/middle school students to educate elementary school students about healthy eating and exercise. A project of the Illusion Theater and School, Inc.
• Running Buddies Program, $20,000 to pair at-risk youth (ages 5-17) with adults to train and run 5K, 5-mile and trail races, including training plans, nutrition education, shoes, goal setting advice and relationship support. A project of Duluth Area Family YMCA.
• Strong Kids, $25,000 to provide a 12-week program for parents and children to develop a healthy approach to lifetime weight management. A program of the Marshall Area YMCA.
• SWITCH, $30,000 to implement the program in two Burnsville, Minn. elementary schools. SWITCH, designed to help communities, schools and families promote and choose healthy lifestyles, is a program of the National Institute on Media and the Family.

Spotted this in the local paper this morning. Woolworths are providing up to $5000 grants under their “Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Community Grants” programme to local community groups for projects that help Primary school aged children lead healthier more active lives.

Applications close 25 April 2008.

Energy Now! is now receiving grant application from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut:

EnergyNow! is a results-based grant program that will enable schools to combat the alarming trend of obesity in our children. With an emphasis on building physical education and nutrition education programs that are doable, sustainable and effective, EnergyNow! aims to energize 1,000,000 kids in 1,000 schools.

What differentiates EnergyNow! from other obesity prevention projects is its results-based, collaborative vision to provide schools with the critical resources and assessment tools needed to help children get healthier. It’s a program that will enable them to understand the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle while they are young and throughout adulthood.

I like the fact that it is results-based as we can evaluate the effectiveness of anti-obesity programmes and adjust and refine as necessary. More on the grants:

Schools will apply for EnergyNow! grants valued at more than $12,000. The grant recipients will receive:

• $2,500 to purchase PE equipment – Most schools have equipment budgets in the $500 – $1000 range. EnergyNow! grants will enable schools to purchase equipment based on their specific needs.
• Nutrition education lessons – The School Nutrition Foundation will provide a practical set of nutrition education lessons designed to connect the classroom and cafeteria to teach students a lifestyle approach to healthy eating based on actual food choices at home and school.
• 10 Polar E600 heart rate monitors, assessment technology and training - This equipment provides essential measurements and accountability so progress can be tracked. Polar trainers will provide training on the use of Polar technology for PE teachers and staff. Grant recipients will also receive pedometers.
• Training on NASPE standards – NASPE will provide training on its National Standards for Physical Education. Valid and reliable student data will also be collected to document the effects of the program.
• Information packets – These include details about becoming a part of the Alliance for A Healthier Generation’s program, resources available from the EnergyNow! partners, and information about various activities, contests and promotions available through EnergyNow!

Gordon Brown jumps on the bandwagon:

Speaking on a visit to a school in south London, the prime minister said that although the government has invested £2.3bn in physical education over the last 10 years, more needs to be done.

Brown announced an extra £100m this year to try to broaden the range of sports available to children as a new survey revealed a worrying predicted rise in levels of obesity in the UK.

It suggested that 86 per cent of men will be obese in 15 years’ time, and 70 per cent of women will be obese in 20 years’ time.

The prime minister said more needed to be done on food labelling to help parents make the right decisions for their children.

“I want to see a young nation growing up that’s healthy and fit.

“Sometimes if you don’t deal with the problem quickly… then it just grows and grows and grows and gets worse,” he said.

On obesity the prime minister added: “It’s a huge problem and we’ve got to deal with it in a number of different ways.

“There are more school playing fields now. There is a wider range of sport in schools. Girls might be more interested in netball and yoga. It’s one of the answers to childhood obesity.

“When I was at school, one child in the class was very fat and it was a problem for them. Now there are four or five in the class and it’s a big problem for them.”

It will be interesting to track the long-term effects of these kinds of policy to ensure that it actually makes a difference to the rates of childhood obesity.

Are you a non-profit, Victorian, sporting club? You may want to consider applying for VicHealth’s Active Club Grants 2007. Grants of up to $2,500 are available.

What will be funded?

• Sports Injury Prevention Equipment
• Essential Equipment/Items
• Volunteer and Club Training
• Portable Sun Shade

Who can apply?

Applications will only be accepted from clubs/organisations that facilitate or
organise community-based sport and active recreation opportunities as one of their
primary functions.
Eligible organisations:

• Sporting organisations (eg, local sporting clubs and regional sports leagues
• or associations).
• Local active recreation organisations (eg, walking clubs, dance groups).
• Organisations that have the facilitation or organisation of community sport and
• active recreation opportunities as one of their primary functions.

Organisations must:

• be not for profit;
• be incorporated;
• be based in Victoria;
• be applying for activities taking place in Victoria;
• have satisfactorily acquitted any previous grants that have been received from
• VicHealth; and
• present applications in accordance with published program timelines and
• processes.

This is a great initiative, so make sure that you take advantage of it! Entries close 3 December 2007. Please see VicHealth’s site for more info.