Physical Activity News - January 31, 2005

1. Grants for Youth Nutrition and Fitness Programs

2. Parks & Trails New York – Community Trails Awards

3. Parks & Trails New York, Healthy Trails, Healthy People – New Communities

4. Team Nutrition

5. Recess Revival

6. Active-8-Kids

7. Conference – Environmental Solutions to Obesity in America’s Youth

1. GRANTS FOR YOUTH NUTRITION AND FITNESS PROGRAM S

The General Mills Champions Youth Nutrition and Fitness Initiative will award grants to community-based groups that develop creative programs to help youth (ages two to 20) adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle. Grants will be awarded to programs that demonstrate significant potential impact on youth groups that are at-risk or that have an impact on large populations of youth. Completed proposals must be received no later than February 1, 2005. http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.aspx.

2. PARKS & TRAILS NEW YORK – COMMUNITY TRAILS AWARD NOMINATIONS

Parks & Trails New York, a statewide conservation organization, is seeking nominations for its 2005 Greenway and Community Trail Awards. The awards recognize the leadership, creativity, and donation of time, talent, and materials behind many of New York’s trails.

Awards will be given in five categories. Three awards recognize contributions to planning, design, construction, management, promotion, and/or public involvement for a trail project or program: the Public Leadership, Volunteer Service, and Corporate Partnership Awards. The Healthy Trails, Healthy People Award recognizes efforts to promote active community environments and improve universal access to trails. The more open-ended Outside the Box Award recognizes unique greenway efforts that demonstrate ingenuity and creativity.

Nominations must be postmarked, e-mailed, or faxed to Parks & Trails New York by April 1, 2005. More information on the awards nomination process, a full description of each award category, and an application form can be found at www.ptny.org or by calling Parks & Trails New York at 518-434-1583.

Winners will be announced June 17, 2005, at a reception at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz, in conjunction with Parks & Trails New York’s two-day statewide trails and greenway conference, entitled Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities.

3. PARKS & TRAILS NEW YORK – NEW COMMUNITES

Five New York communities have been selected to receive trail development assistance from Parks & Trails New York. The communities were chosen as part of Parks & Trails New York's five-year Healthy Trails, Healthy People program. Healthy Trails, Healthy People, funded in part by a grant from the Healthy Heart Program of the New York State Department of Health, is aimed at helping New Yorkers develop more active communities and an enhanced quality of life through the creation of multi-use trails.

"Our intent is to build the vision, constituencies and local commitment that are critical to the long-term success of trail projects. The ultimate goal is getting trails built, because research has shown that where people have access to trails, they're generally more physically active," commented Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin.

4. TEAM NUTRITION WEBSITE

(This website is to help schools meet the new requirements in the School Meals Program to work on wellness policies. The materials do recommend Safe Routes to School as one policy to explore. – Deb) Team Nutrition has just added a Local Wellness Policy Web page to their site. Information is available at the following URL: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html <http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html> .

This website has information and resources to assist local schools in the process of setting up a policy. Updates will added to the site. Please send resources, comments, or suggestions to Desiré Stapley at dstapley@nal.usda.gov <mailto:dstapley@nal.usda.gov> . Check the website out http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html <http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html>

5. RECESS REVIVAL

Recess Revival, published by the Canadian Intramural Recreation Association of Ontario should be of interest to many of you. You can download it from http://www.mohawkc.on.ca/external/cira/FinalRecessRevival.pdf

"Recess Revival" is an implementation guide for the promotion of

physical activity and cooperative play for elementary-aged children. As a supplementary resource to CIRA Ontario's Awesome Asphalt Activities, the guide is meant to assist teachers, playground supervisors and peer leaders in the promotion of fun and cooperative play on the playground.

You can find many other ideas in the National Recreation Database, by Going to this page:

http://www.lin.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=recreationdatabase.showmain

Click on the topic Active Living to expand it, and then select the topic Active Schools.

Agnes Croxford

Senior Information Specialist

Lifestyle Information Network

1185 Eglinton Ave East

North York, ON M2H 1M2

(416) 426 7288

acroxford@lin.ca

http://www.lin.ca

6. NYS ACTIVE-8-KIDS

In his 2005 State of the State address, the Governor announced that the state will launch the “Active-8 Kids” programs, a comprehensive education and awareness campaign encouraging kids to be active, healthy and physically fit. National Hockey League star goaltender and Utica native Rob Esche, and Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans will be supporting this effort. The campaign continues to expand New York State’s investment in reducing obesity, particularly among children, through a wide variety of programs that include, but are not limited to, the Healthy Heart program, Nutrition, WIC, Eat Well, Play Hard, Steps to a HealthierNY, Diabetes Prevention and Control and other obesity prevention programs. The governor's proposed budget includes $1.5 million for "Active-8 Kids".

The details of how "Active-8 Kids" will work are still being worked out. More information is expected to become available in the coming months. To receive information when it becomes available, interested persons should send full contact information (name, affiliation and address, phone, e-mail) to PROOF@health.state.ny.us .

            Kyle Restina, Coordinator

            Preventing and Reducing Overweight and Obesity Forever:

            Evidence-based and Promising Strategies That Work

7. CONFERENCE – ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO OBESITY IN AMERICA’S YOUTH

The NIEHS is sponsoring a 2nd obesity and environment conference entitled “Environmental Solutions to Obesity in America’s Youth” to be held June 1-2, 2005 in Washington, DC. Additional information about the conference and registration can be found on the conference web site at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/drcpt/events/oe2005/.

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