During lunchtime recess at Fairmount School on November 21, students were trying new activities with hula-hoops, jumping rope, skipping backwards, and playing a variety of new games, all as part of a national initiative called Get in the Action.
The initiative was launched last September in Chicago by Action for Healthy Kids, to inspire volunteers and schools to come together for healthier children and schools. It was brought to DuPage County by FORWARD, an inclusive public and private partnership directed and primarily funded by the DuPage County Health Department; the Indian Boundary YMCA; and Action for Healthy Kids. FORWARD was designed to help schools become healthier places for students to learn.
As part of Get in the Action, Fairmount was given new recess equipment, including cones, hula hoops, beanbags and jumpropes, to use on the playground. In addition, Naperville School District 203 retiree Paul Zientarski shared new games and activities with school staff, and classroom brain breaks will be added to the school day.
“It’s just a fun way to reset your brain and refocus and get ready for the next learning activity,” FORWARD coordinator Kathleen Browning said of the brain breaks.
Volunteers from DuPage Medical Group and the community, including the Indian Boundary YMCA, organized four activity stations to demonstrate some of the new activities during recess on November 21.
“We were pleased to be selected for the Get in the Action project. We know that healthier students make better learners,” said Fairmount School Principal Tony Coglianese.
FORWARD director Ann Marchetti said the group’s goal is to reverse the trend of obesity in DuPage County and make it the healthiest county in the United States.
“Get in the Action” is a great opportunity for community volunteers, parents, teachers, anyone who’s interested, to come together to make a difference for our kids in just one day,” Marchetti said.
2011 Get in the Action sponsors are Central DuPage Hospital, DuPage Medical Group Charitable Fund, Edward Hospital, DuPage County Health Department, Action for Healthy Kids, FORWARD, the YMCA, and J.R. Albert Foundation.
The following information was provided by the sponsors of the initiative:
About FORWARD
FORWARD is an inclusive public and private partnership directed and primarily funded by the DuPage County Health Department. The mission of FORWARD is to help all children and families achieve and maintain a healthier weight range. FORWARD partners include health care providers, education, government, social service organizations and private businesses. DuPage County has five FORWARD regions all coordinated by Central Programming, which includes an Advisory Board, County-wide Coalition, Leadership and Staff, Data Collection and Evaluation, and Marketing and Promotion. More information is available at www.forwarddupage.org.
About Indian Boundary YMCA
The Indian Boundary is leading the FORWARD Southeast Region. The “Y” is a powerful association of men, women and children of all ages and all walks of life joined together by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of community. With the commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, fostering a sense of social responsibility, the “Y” ensures that every individual has access to the essentials needed to learn, grow and thrive. Anchored in more than 10,000 neighborhoods around the country, the “Y” has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.
About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids® is the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by helping schools become healthier places and our kids learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. Through a unique collaboration of more than 20,000 members - experts and professionals in health, nutrition, fitness, among others, parents, educators, students and community volunteers – supported by more than 70 organizations, corporations and government agencies, last year alone, Action for Healthy Kids reached 4.5 million students in 9,200 schools nationwide. More information is available on Facebook and on Twitter.
