Henderson, NV—Youth Programs

Description

Safekey was a before and after-school enrichment program held at the 23 elementary schools within the City of Henderson. The spring and fall programs for children focused on healthy eating and physical activity. Students from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) who participated in a Hearts N’ Parks course provided lectures and facilitated nutrition games and physical activities. The children learned about the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, fat content of foods, and how to make better choices when eating, as well as how the heart works. They also learned how to do physical activities such as sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. Healthy snacks were also part of the program. Each day, the children received afternoon snacks that consisted of at least two of the following: 8 ounces of milk; 1 ounce meat/meat alternative; 3/4 cup vegetable, fruit, or 100% fruit juice; and 1 serving of grain/bread. The Hearts N’ Parks Challenge was geared toward adolescent/young adult staff. To kick off the program, a presentation was made to staff, and the pre-questionnaires followed. Participants were “challenged” to read weekly employee newsletter articles that concentrated on nutrition, some physical activity, and the risks of smoking and drugs, and answer three questions from the boss about what they read. A popular newsletter handout was one that illustrated the sugar content of beverages. This was followed by a visual demonstration of the fat and sugar content of common food using models. Employees who sucessfully completed the challenge had their pictures taken and posted on a "challenge" board, and were eligible to win two fitness room memberships in a drawing. The program ended with a wrap-up newsletter, post-questionnaires, and a small party consisting of water, juice, pretzels, fruit, and bagels with reduced fat cream cheese -- of course!
 

Program Information

Name of program	Safekey Nutrition and Physical Activity	Hearts N' Parks Challenge	Fall Safekey/UNLV
Program start and end date	2/3/2003 to 4/30/2003	5/29/2003 to 7/10/2003	9/8/2003 to 11/7/2003
Number of times program met per week	N/A	4	1
Number of participants (total)	111	35	105
Number of male participants	N/A	10	63
Number of female participants	N/A	25	42
Target group	Child	Adolescent	Child
Program focus
Physical Activity		-
Heart-Healthy Eating
Location of activities
Camp	-	-	-
After School		-
Other	-	Recreation center	-
Materials used
Information Handout
Lesson
Activity
Menus	-		-
Other	-	Posters, photographs, newsletters	-

Public Visibility

Partners

Partners who contributed to youth programs: