Creating a healthier you: Encouraging an active lifestyle to prevent childhood obesity

Creating a healthier you: Encouraging an active lifestyle to prevent childhood obesity

Submitted by kelcie on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 13:03.
Last updated on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 15:41.

Vital Stats

Project Type: completed project

Start Date: 03/01/2008

End Date: 04/01/2009

People Impacted: 1500
People Involved: 1
Money Raised: 1200

Project Video

The Problem

Childhood obesity is a national health concern and I am working to help prevent it in my own community as well as in elementary schools across the nation.

Why It's Important

My project is childhood obesity prevention. I started a program where I go to elementary school PE classes and teach dance as a way to exercise and stay healthy. I've created a brochure of information about the health risks of being overweight/obese, as well as healthy snacks, and fun ways kids can get daily exercise. This brochure will not only be distributed in my own community, but through schools across the nation. I am also providing exercise toys like balls, hula hoops and jumpropes to elementary school children and PE classes.

The Plan Of Action

I have arranged with a local elementary PE teacher to go into her classes and teach kids dance as a way to get exercise. I educate them about the risks of being overweight/obese, we talk about good eating habits, and ways to prevent the problem. I give them information about healthy snacks and fun ways to get exercise every day. I appeared on ABC 4's morning show "Good Things Utah" in May 2008, to raise awareness about Childhood obesity which has become a real national health concern. So far I have raised enough money to provide over 1400 kids in my own community with an exercise toy of their own. I have taught over 250 kids through my dance program in elementary school PE Classes. My current goal is raising funds to be able to provide PE classes across the country with jump ropes they can use in class, along with a demo DVD of my dance program and the informative brochure. Currently I have raised enough to provide this gift pack to at least 50 additional schools.

How Can Others Get Involved?

Link:

Others can get involved by doing local activities with children to help them stay active and healty

Project Updates

08/3/09

Update: 80,000 utah children in 111 schools have been given access to jump ropes and information I provided to PE classes. A brochure I created containing information related to childhood obesity, fun ways to get exercise and ideas for nutritious snacks has been made available to another 164,350 Utah children through my efforts, totaling 245,858 children reached. Both public and private schools in Washington, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Mississippi, are using my brochure as part of the Gold Medal Schools program for health & fitness. I've personally taught over 300 children about exercise and nutrition through dance classes. There have been articles in several Utah newspapers about my program. In May 2008 I appeared on "Good Things Utah" channel 4 morning show. This venue made it possible to share my program with the entire state of Utah.

Additional hours volunteered: 500
Additional people impacted: 245858
Additional people involved: 116

Final Grant Update

08/3/09

Kelcie Thomas

Number of people in the organization: 116 (includes principals and PE teachers that are using my brochure and/or jump-ropes in their schools)
Number of people impacted: 245,858+ unknown in other states
Describe the impact the grant had: Winning the DoSomething grant enabled me to purchase exercise toys to present to many other schools in Utah in addition to the 3 in my own community. Jump ropes were made available to 80,000 Utah children, along with my brochure. In addition, both Public and Private schools in Washington, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Mississippi are using my brochure as part of their Gold Medal Schools program for health and fitness.
Project highlights: 1. The reactions of the kids and teachers when I made the deliveries of exercise toys to the schools, and how excited they were to get them. 2. Teaching dance classes to the kids. 3. I loved when the kids told me that fat, sugar, and candy were not good things to eat to stay healthy.
How did the project unfold and develop? After doing a research paper as a junior in high school, I initiated a program to educate elementary school children about healthy eating and exercise habits. I made arrangements with the administration and PE teacher at a local elementary to teach dance as exercise in their classes. ( I also had to get approval from the administration at my high school in order to miss my own classes) Through my own fundraising (a community breakfast), donations from local companies, and my Do Something grant, I was able to donate over 1200 exercise toys to local elementary schools. I also gave each child a copy of a brochure I created that included healthy snack ideas, fun ways to get exercise, and information about childhood obesity. In Aug 2008, I participated in the Miss Millard Scholarship Pageant and was able to speak about my project using Creating a Healthier You: Encouraging an Active lifestyle to prevent childhood obesity.