by admin | Jun 23, 2015 | Educator
For years we have worked with The Oliver Foundation, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit operating foundation dedicated to the prevention of childhood obesity. In fact, they were integral players in the creation and development of our OWG Shorts! So we were thrilled to recently hear about an incredibly talented and impressive young lady on their teen board, who is working hard to fight childhood obesity.
Bradlee Few is a rising senior at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. Bradlee is fully engaged in academics, sports, service, and she is an avid writer. She has enhanced her academic experience by studying abroad in France and China. She is a third year member of both varsity cross country and track & field. For the 2014 season she was selected by her cross country and track coaches as a team captain. Bradlee has served as an Admissions Ambassador for the last two years representing Kinkaid to prospective families through tours and open houses; and she will also begin serving as a Deans Ambassador in the fall. She is the president and co-founder of the Bite of Kinkaid Club, a foodie club focused on exposing its members to world cultures through cooking, eating, and service. Bradlee is also a member of several organizations including National Charity League where she most recently was the President of the Houston Memorial Chapter class of 2016, The Oliver Foundation Teen Board focused on ending childhood obesity, the Nordstrom Fashion Board and Jack and Jill of America, Houston Chapter. Bradlee has also recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work fighting childhood obesity.
Read this inspiring article to see how Bradlee was led to fight childhood obesity head on, watch her video called Tipping the Scale and stay tuned for the launch of her website to coincide with the video all with the hopes of advocating, informing and helping people to become aware of childhood obesity and what they can do to stop it.
We support your tremendous efforts Bradlee and we look forward to following you along the way!
by admin | Jun 16, 2015 | Educator
There are about 70,000 elementary schools in the United States and a few weeks ago a couple of them had a whole lot to celebrate. The “Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes” announced that two lucky schools are the winners of a $30,000 grant and new playground. If you are a parent with a child in elementary school, you know how much recess and outdoor play means to the everyday happiness of your child. You may have even entered on behalf of your school or shared the news with your PTA. It’s a big deal!
As members of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), we promote this annual event and the Together Counts™ program that’s behind it. What a phenomenal opportunity for these schools to receive a brand new playground for kids to take part in all of the fun and physical activity that comes along with the playground experience. The OrganWise Guys are all about energy balance and encouraging playtime outdoors as part of a healthy lifestyle, so this is something we support completely!
With so much need in schools these days, it is no wonder that nearly 400,000 entries were received in this year’s sweepstakes. According to the latest report from the National Center for Education Statistics, 27% of all elementary schools in the United States have outdoor play spaces ranked as “fair” or “poor.” That number jumps to 34% in schools where 75% or more of the students are at or below poverty level, or classified as “Title 1” eligible. To sharpen the point—“fair” is defined in the report as meeting “minimal conditions but is not dependable, breaks down frequently, or has other limitations.” Even worse, a rating of “poor” states that “a particular feature or system as it exists is inadequate to meet even the minimal needs of the school.” Terrible, right?
In light of these bleak statistics, it feels good to share the news that two deserving Title 1 schools were the top 2015 winners of HWCF’s sweepstakes.
When Artspace Charter in Swannoanoa, North Carolina learned they won the grand prize, they were literally jumping for joy and dancing in the hallways.
The winning entry for Southside Elementary in Nortonville, Kentucky was submitted by Christina Estrada, who teaches 1st grade, and has been at the school for 6 years. She’s a great example of a dedicated teacher who went above and beyond to drive change at her school.
Encouraging outdoor play is just a part of what you’ll find at TogetherCounts.com, the hub of free energy balance resources for families and schools. You’ll find information on community partners, including Playworld Systems, who make the free playground program possible year after year.
Please follow news of these special schools and more at https://www.facebook.com/togethercounts
by admin | Jun 13, 2015 | Educator
What better way to celebrate National Get Outdoors Day than talking about some amazing happenings in parks and recreation sites all over the country!
We are so excited to share the feature story from the June issue of National Recreation and Park Association’s, Parks and Recreation magazine, which includes exciting results from fantastic work done in hundreds of sites around the country thanks to the Walmart Foundation. Specifically, there is a particular focus on the impacts of the nutrition literacy curriculum and the healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA) standards in out-of-school time programs.
Download and read the entire article here or you can read the Parks and Recreation magazine in its entirety. You will definitely be interested to read how healthy summer programming can make such a great impact on kids, families, and the entire community!
Lastly, here are some fun ways to celebrate National Get Outdoors Day with your family today!
by admin | May 5, 2015 | Educator
Over the years, we have done a lot of work combatting childhood obesity in the state of Mississippi. We’ve been fortunate to partner with a number of organizations with like missions of creating healthier children and communities around the state. Recently we heard from the Mississippi Food Network (MFN), who hosted events at two of their supper sites in Greenville and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
During spring break, MFN hosted a farmers market fair at each of the sites, where they purchased produce for the farmers market and children were able to shop the healthy fruits and vegetables free of charge. Through the event over 660 pounds of produce was distributed to the children between the two supper sites. In Hattiesburg, a registered dietician from Stretch-n-Grow did a little bit of physical activity education with the kids, along with some nutrition education. In Greenville, the focus was more on Choose My Plate.
The Organwise Guys materials played a huge and fun role at both events. The Foods of the Month spin board was used by the children, who spun and whatever food they landed on, they got to taste test. Through the taste test, children were able to taste fruits and veggies they may have never tasted before this event. The same things was done with the Wheel of Health board, which focuses on physical activity. The kids had to demonstrate the particular activity that the spinner landed on. The kids loved this activity!
Thanks to Mississippi Food Network for sharing this with us! We love seeing such great things being done in the communities of course the healthy kids in Mississippi!
by admin | Apr 21, 2015 | Grown Up
Tomorrow, April 22, 2015, commemorates the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. People around the world will do their part to help protect the environment. What a great opportunity to educate your kids on some of the simple things that can be done on a daily basis to make a positive impact. This year, make it a goal to celebrate Earth Day in your own way as a family.
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Bradlee Few is a rising senior at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. Bradlee is fully engaged in academics, sports, service, and she is an avid writer. She has enhanced her academic experience by studying abroad in France and China. She is a third year member of both varsity cross country and track & field. For the 2014 season she was selected by her cross country and track coaches as a team captain. Bradlee has served as an Admissions Ambassador for the last two years representing Kinkaid to prospective families through tours and open houses; and she will also begin serving as a Deans Ambassador in the fall. She is the president and co-founder of the Bite of Kinkaid Club, a foodie club focused on exposing its members to world cultures through cooking, eating, and service. Bradlee is also a member of several organizations including National Charity League where she most recently was the President of the Houston Memorial Chapter class of 2016, The Oliver Foundation Teen Board focused on ending childhood obesity, the Nordstrom Fashion Board and Jack and Jill of America, Houston Chapter. Bradlee has also recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work fighting childhood obesity.
