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Gwinnett County: 2015 Out-of-School-Time Expo

Live Healthy Gwinnett and GUIDE, Inc. hosted the 2015 Out-of-School Time Expo on Saturday, August 1, at Bogan Park in Gwinnett County, Georgia. We were so excited to be a part of this important event right in the home county of The OrganWise Guys! OWG President, Dr. Michelle Lombardo presented on the evidence-based out-of-school-time programming being used in a number of parks around the country and also was excited to exhibit at the event. We love seeing the healthy focus being put on this out-of-school-time.

Check out Live Healthy Gwinnett’s online album from the 2015 Out-Of-School-Time Expo as well as the pictures below!

2015 Out-of-school-time Expo

Dr. Michelle Lombardo with two lovely Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation interns.

We couldn’t resist sharing our OrganWise Gals in this retro photo from Live Healthy Gwinnett during Parks and Recreation Month in July.

 

Texas Healthy Choices Grant Recipients Make Impact on Kids

We always love when we can showcase a long time partner organization such as 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!

In this case, we are sharing how the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) implemented nutrition and healthy lifestyle programming in Deer Park ISD and McAllen ISD park and recreation agencies via Healthy Choices grants from The Oliver Foundation. The program started in the after school programs but then transitioned into the summer day camps. Deer Park ISD shared that they have been quite impressed with how much the kids are eager to participate in WISERCISE on a daily basis and how creative they are with the different activities. They are also incorporating food tastings into their lessons, which is always a favorite! Congrats to the grant recipients and a huge shout out to the staff who is helping to create healthier kids!

Look how much the kids at in both locations are enjoying the program below:

Texas Healthy Choices Grant1 Texas Healthy Choices Grant 2 Texas Healthy Choices Grant 3 Texas Healthy Choices Grants 4 Texas Healthy Choices Grants 5 Texas Healthy Choices Grant 6Texas Healthy Choices Grants 7

Park and Recreation Month: Celebrating 30 Years

Park-and-Rec-Month-2015-290

July 1st marks the start of Park and Recreation Month. The annual monthly celebration encourages people to get out and experience the benefits of parks and recreation – from health and wellness to nature and everything in between. This year is the 30th anniversary celebration of July as Park and Recreation Month. To celebrate, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is encouraging retro, 1980s-type activities at local parks and recreation facilities, while also promoting the enduring benefits of parks and recreation. We’ve been fortunate to work with the NRPA and a number of parks and recreation sites around the country for the last few years and we love that they are focusing on creating healthier children!

Here’s how you can join in the celebration and celebrate Park and Recreation Month:

  • Include mention of Park and Recreation Month in newsletters and other communications (blog, social media, emails) throughout the month. 
  • Spread the word through social media using: #JULYPRM30
  • Download and post the web graphics and/or logo to your websites, social media platforms or include in your communications to show your support.
  • Grab your eighties gear and slang and participate in the Throwback Thursday Instagram Video Challenge. This sounds like tons of fun … we can’t wait to see these!

You can find all of the information at www.nrpa.org/july

Make sure and download your OrganWise Guys retro-inspired coloring sheet to celebrate parks and recreation this month!

 

Healthy Summer Programming Works

Healthy Summer Programming

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!

 

 

Planning for a Healthy Summer

It’s only March so summer certainly seems a long way off, however, now is the time to start thinking about the options that are available for kids. Many organizations already have their summer camp information available!

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