The Completion of our Service Learning Project

For our service learning project, we volunteered at the Youth Fitness Center at the Peabody YMCA. Children and teens ranging in age from nine-years-old to thirteen-years-old can come to this afterschool fitness center on weekdays and Saturdays. At the center, members can use a variety of weight-training equipment, cardio machines, and electronic fitness equipment, such as Nintendo Wii and Dance-Dance Revolution. They also have access to the indoor track and basketball court at the YMCA. One of the major goals of the Youth Fitness Center is to combat and help prevent childhood obesity. The center provides a safe place for youths of all abilities to exercise.

            During our time at the YMCA, we helped and monitored the members who were exercising. When they arrived to the center, we made sure they took out their workout sheets before using any equipment. The proper weight each member should be using while exercising on weight-training equipment is recorded on these sheets. If members want to use more weight on any machine, they need to notify a staff member, who will make sure they can use the additional weight without risking injury. We also helped children and teens adjust their equipment, learn how to use new machines, and made sure they were using the equipment safely.  The Youth Fitness Center is a great organization for youths of all fitness abilities to be a part of. And, importantly, this center is helping aid in the prevention of childhood obesity.

Information about the Youth Fitness Center: http://www.peabodyymca.org/wp/?page_id=135

Brochure: http://www.peabodyymca.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Youth-Fitness-Center-Brochure-Master.pdf

Peabody YMCA: http://www.peabodyymca.org/main.php

Caroline’s Reflection

            The Youth Fitness Center at the YMCA is an organization that is helping prevent childhood obesity. Most workout facilities do not allow children to exercise until they are around the ages of 15 or 16. The Youth Fitness Center provides a safe environment for members to exercise, minimizes the risk of injury, and helps members maintain a healthy lifestyle.

            I really enjoyed volunteering at the Youth Fitness Center. It was obvious that the members were enjoying themselves while exercising. Each member Jen and I talked to had positive feedback about the facility. The members were not fooling around, but rather took their time at the center seriously. I saw a range of children, from fit to overweight. It was nice to see that the overweight children have a place to exercise as much as they want. The Youth Fitness Center will definitely help combat the issue of childhood obesity by providing a safe environment for youths to exercise.

            I would definitely participate in an experience similar to this in the future. It was so gratifying for me to see children come to a facility that will help them maintain their health now and hopefully in the future. I enjoyed interacting with the members and helping them whenever necessary. Also, it was nice to know that I helped the staff members, who are responsible for keeping this program running.

            As a teacher, I would have students create their own service learning project in the upper elementary school grades. I think it is a great way for students to become involved in society, which is major focal point of teaching social studies. I liked being able to choose a topic for this service learning project that I was passionate about, so I would definitely allow students to choose their own topic, as well. Overall, this experience has increased my knowledge and awareness of childhood obesity. It has allowed me to be an active participant in the issue I have been researching all semester, and was a memorable and rewarding experience.

Jen’s Reflection:

          Researching this topic really opens up your mind and makes you aware of this growing issue in this country. Childhood obesity affects many children and many parents don’t take it serious. There are some that do. Spending an afternoon at the YMCA in the youth fitness center makes you aware of how serious people have been taking this issue. I was surprised to see special exercise equipment designed just for children. I loved the fitness center for the children. It was a fun place. It had the exercise equipment, and they had some fun games interactive games. Some of these games included the wii, an interactive light wall, and dance dance revolution. The staff would play fun music for the children to listen to. It made it a fun and comfortable environment. We did ask one of the boys who attended the fitness center weekly, he said “I really like it! I feel I have gotten thinner, and it makes me stronger, and I lost my Man boobs!”  He did really enjoy it! This youth center was a really great place. It made me wish I want a few years younger to work out there.

          Working on this project really helped to understand this issue and made me more aware of the issue. The idea of the service learning project is something that I would like to do again and intergraded it into my classroom. I can see how it would make the students want to help the community and spread their opinions on a matter that they feel strongly about. I believe that it is important for students to want to stand for their beliefs and make it known when it comes to certain issues.

Service Learning Project Ideas

  There are many ongoing efforts to help prevent childhood obesity and these changes are having a positive impact on this issue. Many schools have been changing the types of food that are being sold in the cafeteria and vending machines. Governor Deval Patrick’s bill that was signed last year is definitely creating these changes in schools. We feel that childhood obesity is a still a problem, but people are beginning to realize the consequences of the issue and are taking steps necessary to help prevent it.

              

  For our service learning project, we have thought of a few places to do volunteer work. First, the Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy Weight (http://www.mphw.org/index.htm) is an organization that aims to prevent obesity by promoting ways to live a healthy lifestyle. For example, the organization lists various locations across the state where adults and children can participate in physical activities. Christina Nordstrom is the Acting Director, and her contact information found on the website is:

Christina NordstromActing Director
Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit
Bureau of Family and Community Health
MA Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street , 4th floor
Boston , MA 02108 -4619
Phone: (617) 994-9859
Fax: (617) 624-5075
Email: christina.nordstrom@state.ma.us

  

 The YMCA is a place we are definitely interested in volunteering at. This organization has made plans to fight childhood obesity, such as through their Healthier Communities Initiatives, which aims to provide places for children to be active. More information can be found at http://www.ymca.net/news-releases/20100827-childhood-obesity-awareness.html

We contacted the Peabody YMCA ( http://www.peabodyymca.org/main.php) by e-mail regarding volunteer opportunities for our service learning project.

They can be contacted by e-mail at:

 info@peabodyymca.org

Or by phone at:

978-977-YMCA (9622)



(Photo taken from: http://rlv.zcache.com/prevent_childhood_obesity_poster-p228109605353984748t5ta_400.jpg )

Critical Attributes of Childhood Obesity

The New York Times reports that The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study that shows that children who are obese have a great change of developing health problems later in life. This study followed children as they became adults.  The New York Times article reports, “…obesity was the factor most closely associated with an early death…” Childhood obesity causes many problems, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. This issue is definitely one that the public needs to be educated about. The full article can be found HERE. 

Citation:

Rabin, Roni Caryn. "Child Obesity Risks Death at Early Age, Study Finds." The New York Times. 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/health/11fat.html>.

 

The critical attributes of childhood obesity are:

1.       Childhood obesity: children that fit into the “obese” category according to their weight/body mass index. There has been an increase in childhood obesity in the United States.

2.       Nutrition: the content of food and what the food is made up of; poor nutritional choices or healthy nutritional choices. Today, children are often making poor nutritional choices.

3.       Exercise: engaging in physical activity. Many children are not active enough and do not know about the benefits of exercise.

4.       Schools food selections: schools often provide poor food selections (soda, candy, French fries). However, there has been a push to provide healthier options.

Informational knowledge consists of schools food selections. Procedural knowledge is childhood obesity, nutrition, and exercise.

In order to teach the readers of this blog about childhood obesity, we will teach both informational and procedural knowledge regarding our issue. It is important for us to keep our readers up-to-date on changes that are being made to fight childhood obesity, such as schools changing their food selections. At the same time, it is important to include information on topics that encompass the essence of childhood obesity, such as why childhood obesity is occurring and why it is a problem.  

http://www.bigboysintraining.com/resources/obesity.jpg 

Rabin, Roni Caryn. "Child Obesity Risks Death at Early Age, Study Finds." The New York Times. 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/health/11fat.html>.

French Fries Cost Extra At School Lunch Now

News on Childhood Obesity in Massachusetts

It is no secret that childhood obesity is an issue. But, are schools really taking this seriously????

The Salem News has an article, “Schools Beat the Curve on Healthy Fare,” by Ethan Forman, about local schools in Massachusetts helping in the attempt to lessen the growing number of obese students. Many schools are changing their food options in response to newly created rules by the Public Health Council and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. These “...new school-snack-food rules, set to take effect Aug. 1, 2012, stem from a bill lawmakers passed last year to improve the nutrition of ‘competitive foods’...These foods are not sold as part of the regular lunch program...” (Forman).  Many schools are proud to announce they have never or have recently stopped selling unhealthy foods. In Salem, Bentley, Carlton, Horace Mann, and Bowditch schools have received grants to purchase vegetables for snack time. It is so nice to hear that the issue of childhood obesity is being taken seriously, especially from schools right in Salem!

Click HERE to read the entire article!

Source:

Forman, E. (2011, February 15). Schools Beat the Curve on Healthy Fare. The Salem News. Retrieved

     from http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1248737078/Schools-beat-the-curve-on-healthy-fare

Personally, I feel that schools are headed in the right direction regarding changing the types of food that are sold. However, sometimes when items are taken away, they become more desirable. For example, if students cannot have French fries at school, will French fries become more desirable, and cause students to eat them outside of school? This will be interesting to see, and only time will tell. (Caroline)

I agree with Caroline's statement about the schools. When schools take away these desirable foods, it could result in the children wanting the foods more outside of school. There are many parents that will give into giving fast food for dinner since it is easier, faster, and cheaper than having to prepare and cook dinners. It makes you wonder if parents are just looking for an easy way out when it comes to cooking meals. It is great that the schools are trying to fight this problem. Some schools are beginning to charge extra for these unhealthy foods, like french fries. It will be interesting to see if this will help the problem.  (Jen)

Some questions we have are:

1.      After the new food guidelines are passed in August, will students accept the changes?

2.      How strict are the rules?

3.      Will schools maintain the sale of healthier foods years after the guidelines have been created?

Some possible service learning projects are educating students in our field placement about nutrition and exercise, educating younger children in our neighborhoods about nutrition and exercise, and educating our younger family members about nutrition and exercise.

This picture is taken from the article in The Salem News. It shows Tom Powers, the director of food services for Danvers schools, with vending machines that sell healthy items.

Introduction to Blog!

As students in a social studies class in Junior Block, we have decided to focus our service learning project on childhood obesity, a growing concern in the United States. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, 16%-33% of children and adolescents are considered obese (Facts for Families. (n.d.).  Obesity In Children And Teens. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology website: http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/obesity_in_children_and_teens ).   Many people blame the result of this issue on poor nutritional choices, bad quality of food, and media influence on children. Others say the increase in obesity is a result of a decrease in physical activity.   

                We hope that this blog will help raise awareness to the ever prevalent issue of childhood obesity.  Television shows such as Biggest Loser and Heavy exist because of the high number of obese adults. It is so important that children learn the importance of nutrition and exercise early on in life to help them to become healthy adults in the future. Hopefully, educating children and the public about childhood obesity will help combat this issue.

Below is a great website to read about information on childhood obesity:

AACAP Information on Childhood Obesity