NHLBI, Hearts N' Parks Program - 2003 Magnet Center Sites

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2003 Magnet Center Sites

Gary, IN—Youth Programs

Description

Youth programs focused on increasing participants' knowledge of heart-healthy eating and more exposure to physical activities. In the Kids Learn 2 Live Next Step program, children received weekly presentations on healthy eating as well as healthy meals and discussions to reinforce healthy eating behaviors. The children also participated in physical activities such as baseball, basketball, CATCH games, volleyball, bowling, jump rope, running, kick ball and swimming. The Come Out and Play program for adolescents targeted youth employees. Each week, the employees participated in a discussion about healthy eating and physical fitness. Two presentations focused on teenage eating behaviors and the marketing of fast food. This year, the youth workers also played games and sports such as baseball, basketball, walking, and swimming along with the campers instead of coaching from the sidelines. These were activities that the employees had not done before or had not done in a long time. By engaging in physical activities with the campers, the youth employees showed changes in their eating and physical activity behaviors. Next year, the program will be expanded to include the city pool youth lifeguards and to host a fitness day with the two groups of youth workers. Special events for youth included a Sports Week and a Hearts N’ Parks week. These were concentrated days of healthy eating discussions and outdoor physical activity. Special community events included the 4th of July City Festival and the Youth Health and Safety Fair. During the City Festival, a climbing wall was available and Hearts N’ Parks healthy eating information was distributed.

Program Information

Name of program	Come Out and Play	Kids Learn 2 Live Next Step
Program start and end date	6/23/2003 to 8/1/2003	6/23/2003 to 8/6/2003
Number of times program met per week	2	5
Number of participants (total)	25	30
Number of male participants	15	15
Number of female participants	10	15
Target group	Adolescent	Child
Program focus
Physical Activity
Heart-Healthy Eating
Location of activities
Camp
After School	-	-
Other	-	-
Materials used
Information Handout
Lesson
Activity
Menus
Other	-	-

Public Visibility

Internal efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Presentations(boards, councils, staff)
Newsletter or brochure
Other: parent letters

External efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Media Coverage: Print

Special Event(s): Launched event, FunFit Festival

Number of presentations: N/A

Other: N/A

Partners

Partners who contributed to youth programs:

Partner Name	Partner Contribution
Andrean High School Volleyball Program	Varsity coach and team members conducted volleyball clinics.
Gary School Corporation Food Services Department	Staff worked with Youth Services to provide a better tasting and healthier lunch menu for summer programs. These menus were used to reinforce healthy eating behaviors.

Performance Measures

Kids Learn 2 Live Next Step
Children's scores showed significant improvement in heart-healthy eating knowledge, behavior, and intention, and physical activity attitude.

Come Out and Play
Participant scores showed significant improvement in heart-healthy eating knowledge, overweight/obesity knowledge, heart-healthy eating attitude, overweight/obesity attitude, heart-healthy eating behavior, heart-healthy eating intention, and physical activity level.