Applied Sciences Individual Assignment: Journal Article Review

By Kellie May

Before and After School Programming

Promoting active lifestyles for children

R ECENTLY, stakeholders from several disci- / «•

plines came together at the Weight of the Na- tion Conference in Washington, DC, sponsored by

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to dis- cuss the rising obesity epidemic. Several ideas were presented to reduce rising obesity rates. Many of these ideas can be found in the re- cent report "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention," published by the Institute of Medicine and available at www.icm.edu/fnb. Park and recreation agencies were iden- tified at the conference as leaders in fighting the obesity epidemic due to their abil- ity to help increase physical activity levels of children by delivering programs which improve their overall health.

Henderson, Nevada

Specifically, park and recreation agencies have a unique opportunity to provide programs that help children increase their physical activity levels and im- prove nutrition in before/afterschool programs. Oual- ity before/afterschool programs are critical because they provide much needed opportunities for growth, learning, and fun. Children who participate are in a safe environment where they can do a variety of ac- tivities, including study, exercise, and learn. Below are five innovative programs that highlight unique part- nerships and activities in before/afterschool programs at park and recreation agencies across the country.

Henderson, Nevada Henderson, Nevada (a growing community of 270,000 located in the Las Vegas area), began ad- dressing obesity and improving physical activity of residents with the development of the "Healthy Hen- derson" program in 2003. Specifically, they have implemented a program known as "Safekey," which is part of CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health). This is a partnership between the city and the Southern Nevada Health District.

The program features a combination of holding educational sessions on nutrition, serving healthy snacks, and providing 30 minutes of physical activity.

Children increase their physical activity through play, burn calories, increase their metabolism, and are encouraged to make good nutritional choices. Since the program was incorporated in August 2011, over four million minutes of physical activity have been completed, eliminating over 1,515 pounds of fat. One child lost over 13 pounds.

San Clemente, California The City of San Clemente, California, has a unique af- terschool program, "Fun on the Run," which is a free mobile recreation program that travels to neighbor- hood parks in the city, providing an unlimited amount of activities and sports to children ages 4 to 11. The truck is equipped with sports equipment, board games, jump ropes, hula-hoops, arts and crafts, and much more. Every month there are visits from vari- ous community partners including the Orange Coun- ty Sheriff Department, firemen, lifeguards, and the Orange County Health Department. These organiza- tions visit the sites to empower kids with the knowl- edge to make healthy choices. Program staff lead and conduct games, crafts, and various sports. Aiming to teach the community's children about living healthy lives and making good decisions, staff teach the par- ticipants about the importance of eating healthy.

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PUBLIC HEALTH continued from page 33

Staying active, and the benefits of follow- ing the USDA dietary guidelines.

Along with mobile recreation. Fun on the Run supports an elementary school sports program. Goal Zone Sports. Coal Zone Sports is a low-cost sports program that allows kids in grades 1 through 5 to learn a variety of sports, including bas- ketball, soccer, and flag football. The program emphasizes skill development, proper nutrition and health, and fun. Chil- dren are taught the value of exercise, good sportsmanship, and how to "eat like an athlete" while measuring their fitness level. Their progress is measured through the collection of daily food logs and the as- sessment of their body mass index (BMI). The information is shared with parents and schools in hopes that the knowledge will equip them to better serve the needs of their children.

Madison, Wisconsin In Madison, Wisconsin, Madison School and Community Recreation (MSCR) has an afterschool program called The Healthy Self program which began in 2003 in collaboration with the Croup Health Co- operative, which funds the program, and Madison Metropolitan School District school nurses. The program teaches el- ementary school children the benefits of good nutrition and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. The Healthy Self Pro- gram is incorporated into MSCR's Safe Haven afterschool program at Emerson, Clendale, and Falk Elementary schools and at the Allied Learning Center.

Healthy Self participants participate weekly during their afterschool program in nutrition education activities, cook- ing, and fun fitness activities. Each year, MSCR staff organize Healthy Self family nights to share this critical information with parents and other family members.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Last year, Philadelphia Parks and Recre- ation piloted "Youth Councils" at four af- terschool programs. A mentor met with the youth councils every other week to discuss nutrition, physical activity, and

healthy lifestyles with the children. Cnce the children on the council learned the lesson/activity, they then taught it to the other children in the program.

As an example, one of the lessons re- volved around screen time. The children on the youth council were asked to esti- mate how much screen time they had in a day. As they were sharing their answers, even they were surprised by the amount of screen time indicated. They discussed the consequences of too much screen time and healthy alternatives. The Youth Council kids then conducted the same survey and discussion with the other chil- dren in the program.

The children have learned how to make healthy snacks, read nutrition la- bels, and play new games to stay active.

Madison, Wisconsin

Forthe 2012-13 afterschool program, Phil- adelphia will expand the youth councils to 25 sites who will meet with a leader on a weekly basis.

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska, developed Fitness Totes for their afterschool programs. Each tote focuses on a different fitness com- ponent. The three fitness components focused on are muscular flexibility, mus- cular strength and endurance, and car- diovascular endurance. The Fitness Totes were designed to be easy for staff to pull out and have all the materials and equip- ment for fitness circuits. The fitness cir- cuits were intended to be a fast, easy, and a healthy alternative to TV and gaming in the early mornings and late afternoon times in before/afterschool and summer programs.

Parks and recreation agencies are playing an essential role in providing be- fore/afterschool programs for children to engage in healthy physical activity and improve their overall health. With the growing obesity epidemic, this essential service cannot be overlooked and agen- cies must continue to improve and en- hance their before/afterschool programs with innovative programming ideas.

For more information on NRPA's health and Wellness programs please visit: http://www.nrpa.org/Crants-and-Parf- ners/Health-and-Livability. •

KELLiE MAY is NRPA Program Manager.

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