Articles by Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

Non-Profit Group Wants Improved Health Care & More Physical Activity For Latinos in Colorado

October 24, 2014

A new non-profit organization, Healthier Colorado, is hoping to bring changes to the state of Colorado by working for improved health care policy. According to a Denver Business Journal article the costs of health care insurance have risen dramatically in Colorado compared to other states. Because of this the Colorado Health Foundation supported Healthier Colorado with a $10 million grant to help reform the state's current policy. According to the news article, Healthier Colorado will begin working towards two goals: 1. To reduce childhood obesity in the state 2. Make health insurance more affordable In the news article, Healthier Colorado's executive director, Jake Williams notes that Latino kids are especially at risk for becoming overweight and obese and that they do not ...

South Dakota Updates Its PE Standards

October 23, 2014

Students in one of top 10 fastest growing Latino states will soon experience improved standards in PE. According to a blog post from Education Week, the South Dakota Board of Education recently updated their standards for physical education. By using the same national framework developed by SHAPE America (formerly the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)), in 2014, the South Dakota Department of Education (SDDOE), worked to draft their own state guidelines for what students in grades K-12 should know and be able to do. According to a news article from Argusleader.com the most recent updates to standards occurred in 2006, however, students' needs have changed since then. "The [new] standards identify knowledge and skills students should know and be able to ...

How Can We Elevate Bike Equity Among Latinos in the US?

October 22, 2014

Increasing opportunities for biking is one way to help Latino communities get healthy. The League of American Bicyclists recently came out with a new report titled: The New Movement: Bike Equity Today which addresses this topic. According to the report, diversity in biking already exists and continues to grow but there is still a need for involving more Latinos and underrepresented groups in bike advocacy. Examples from groups working towards equity, throughout the country illustrate that there is no magic formula for getting communities excited about biking. There are however, several ideas and lessons learned for turning the tide on how roads can be developed and opportunities for biking expanded. Ideas for initiatives such as earn-a-bike and apprentice programs throughout ...

Local Dance Group Brings Salsa Dancing to Latinos in Clarksville, TN

October 22, 2014

Distinguished Steppers Unlimited, a dance group in Clarksville, Tennessee has partnered up with the local Parks and Recreation Department to bring a night of family fun and salsa dancing to local residents. The event which is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 24th from 6:00pm-10:00pm at the Kleeman Community Center, has been organized in efforts to reach the growing Latino community with culturally relevant opportunities for physical activity. Although the event targets Latinos, all are invited to experience the festivities which will include a live performance from a local Zumba dance troupe and a couples Latin dance demonstration. Additional activities will be provided for kids ages 6 to 15 and information about women’s breast health will be made available both in ...

Boyle Heights Residents Take to The Streets For A Community Fun Run & 5K

October 20, 2014

Residents living in Boyle Heights, one of Los Angeles' predominantly Latino districts, took charge of their health by hosting one of the area's very first 5K runs in conjunction with a community health fair. According to a Streetsblog LA blog, the event which took place on Saturday, October 11, 2014 from 8:00-9:45 am, was organized under the leadership of Juan Romero, owner of a local coffee shop called Primera Taza. Romero wanted for local residents to have an event of their own that celebrated their culture, family and health, while raising funds for organizations in need. After years, of discussing the idea for a 5K, in March 2014 Romero decided to take the initiative of organizing the event himself. He partnered with the White Memorial Hospital the Variety Boys and Girls ...

NFL Helps Bring New Football Field to KIPP Sunnyside High in Houston, TX

October 17, 2014

Students attending KIPP Sunnyside High School in Houston, TX will soon see a new turf football field, thanks to a $50,000 grant it's received from the Houston Texans, through the National Football League (NFL) Foundation Grassroots Program---a partnership of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the NFL Foundation. According to a blog from HoustonTexans.com this is the ninth award of this kind to be made towards communities in the Houston area. This year alone, the NFL's Foundation Grassroots Program has awarded $2.5 million to go towards improvements such as lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts, turf, and sprinkler systems. “These fields are useful in so many ways,” said Michael Rubinger, president and CEO of LISC in the article from ...

Rozarks Nature Trail Brings Physical Activity to Community in Need in Kansas City, KS

October 17, 2014

After learning that kids in Rosedale were at a high risk for childhood obesity, the Rosedale Development Association (RDA) decided it was time to do something about it. They learned that the community wanted more trails so they hired an expert who developed plans for a hike & bike nature trail to connect the community to parks and other key spots. With support from various groups and the local government, the RDA built over 2.3 miles of nature trail, all at a minimal expense. Families and children in the community are already benefitting from the trail and the group continues expanding the Rozarks trail network. EMERGENCE Awareness: The Rosedale Development Association (RDA), a Kansas City, Kan., non-profit community development corporation, has worked since the 1940s to solve ...

‘Sports 4 Life’ Grants Bring Programs to Latina & African American Girls Across the US

October 16, 2014

Sports 4 Life, a new grant initiative sponsored by the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) and ESPNw is expanding sports opportunities for Latina and African American girls, ages 11-18. By providing $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 grants to qualifying sports programs across the US, Sports 4 Life, aims to help close the gender and race/ethnicity inequality gaps that exist around physical activity. According to the Sports 4 Life page, girls who play sports are more likely to have a positive body image, to be in good health, and more likely to have lower obesity rates. They also have a higher chance of getting better grades, graduating from high school and going on to college. In addition to fostering good health and improving accessibility to sports, all Sports 4 Life funded programs will ...

Veggie Gardens Are Grounds for Teaching Nutrition to Elementary Students

October 15, 2014

Hollin Meadows Elementary School, part of the 23% Latino Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, has dedicated leaders and parents who value student health. A few years ago, they started a vegetable garden. Since then, thanks to the leadership of parent Shawn Akard, the school has: developed more gardens; brought in an “outdoor education coordinator” to oversee the gardens and programming; and helped students learn to grow and value new healthy produce. EMERGENCE Awareness: Shawn Akard, a PTA member and mother of a student at Hollin Meadows Elementary School in Alxandria, Va., appreciated the healthy changes going on in her district, Fairfax County Public Schools. She wanted to get involved. Learn: Around 2006, she talked with other parents to get ideas on how to get kids ...

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Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

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