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

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2003 Magnet Center Sites

Jefferson City, MO—Youth Programs

Description

During the kickoff event of the 12-week Family Health and Fitness program, each participant was given a “passport," which included several different physical activities, and an activity log to record physical activities, which was completed and turned in at the end of the program. The children were awarded passport points for every ten minutes of physical activity and for attending events held by a sponsor. Participants also received materials on heart-healthy eating and other health topics. At the end of the program, certificates of recognition were given to all participants that reached at least 500 points. Additional prizes included certificates for those who attended at least five sponsored activities, a six-month health club membership to the individual who achieved the most points, YMCA day passes, and a $50 gift certificate to the family that achieved the most points. Start Smart Baseball for preschool children targeted heart-healthy eating and physical activity. The first session was a meeting with children and parents. During the next seven weeks, the children received a short presentation and handouts on heart-healthy eating followed by a nutrition-related coloring book session. The participants also received healthy snacks to bring home. In addition to nutrition activities, the children learned how to play baseball. The last session was dedicated to a T-ball game.

Program Information

Name of program	Start Smart Baseball 2003	Family Health and Fitness
Program start and end date	6/3/2003 to 7/22/2003	5/18/2003 to 8/9/2003
Number of times program met per week	1	N/A
Number of participants (total)	57	14
Number of male participants	46	N/A
Number of female participants	11	N/A
Target group	Child	Child
Program focus
Physical Activity
Heart-Healthy Eating
Location of activities
Camp	-	-
After School	-	-
Other	Ice arena	-
Materials used
Information Handout
Lesson		-
Activity
Menus	-	-
Other	-	-

Public Visibility

Internal efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Bulletin board or information racks
Other: Program guide

External efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Media Coverage: Print, TV

Special Event(s): Launched event, FunFit Festival

Number of presentations: N/A

Other: N/A

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Partners

Partners who contributed to youth programs:

Partner Name	Partner Contribution
Wal-Mart Supercenter	Provided four weeks of healthy snacks for Start Smart Baseball participants.
Capital Region Medical Center	Conducted health screenings and donated a six-month free membership to their HealthPlex Fitness Center.
Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health	Attended the organizational meetings and contributed ideas; dispersed information and registration forms via state e-mail; supplied gifts for goody bags to give to participants; and sponsored one of the activities.
Jefferson City Area YMCA	Attended organizational meetings; dispersed information and registration forms; donated free passes to the YMCA; sponsored one of the activities; and donated items for the goody bags given to the participants at the end of the program.
St. Mary's Health Center	Helped to disseminate program information and registration forms.
Capital City Cycling Club	Attended organizational meetings and the kickoff event; sponsored one of the activities.
Jefferson City Roadrunners Club	Led a walk through the park at the kickoff event and sponsored another walk/run event.
Jefferson City Public Schools	Attended organizational meetings and contributed ideas.

Performance Measures

Start Smart Baseball 2003
Children's scores indicated improvement in heart-healthy eating knowledge, behavior, and intention, as well as physical activity attitude.