Residents living in the predominantly Latino city of Santa Ana, CA, are working to improve pedestrian safety. The city has gradually implemented changes to its roads by adding illustrated signage and radar feedback signs that flash a driver's speed as they approach a busy intersection. In addition, they've also started developing a walk/bike plan. According to a Plantizen blog, pedestrian safety disproportionately affects cities with large minority populations like Santa Ana. A recent news article by Aljazeera America, stated that while Hispanics comprise nearly 15 percent of the U.S. population, almost 19 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur among Hispanics. To help improve Santa Ana's streets, officials have already applied for at least 10 grants, adding up to a ...
Recently the New Mexico Student Nutrition Bureau went above and beyond the new standards set by the USDA's Smart Snacks regulations. The New Mexico standards will allow only nuts, seeds, yogurt, cheese and fresh fruit to be sold during the school day from vending machines in middle and high schools, with other snacks not available until 30 minutes after the school day ends. They are also updating their vending standards, encouraging elementary schools to have only water, low-fat/fat-free milk, or soy milk in their machines. Middle and High Schools have to meet strict size and calorie standards for 100% fruit juices, carbonated beverages, and flavored waters. Fundraisers are also addressed in New Mexico's new standards, allowing groups to do only one hour of fundraising during the ...
Latino kids have higher rates of asthma than other groups. In Rhode Island, the asthma rate among students is 50% in some inner-city schools with large Latino populations, putting kids in danger of missing school and trekking to the emergency room. What's a solution? A new study, called ASMAS (asthma management in schools) and led by Brown University, is using peer mentors to test the idea that "high schoolers might be able to help younger kids—like middle schoolers—manage their asthma better in school...especially if they come from the same ethnic group, and even from the same neighborhood," Rhode Island Public Radio reports. The study has recruited several peer mentors, like Andy Darius, a senior at Shea High School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, who plays football, has ...
Temporary protected bike lanes were brought to at least eight different cities throughout the country, including Denver (32% Latino), Oakland, CA (25% Latino) and Mountain View, CA (22% Latino), three cities with sizable Latino populations. According to a Peopleforbikes blog, many of these projects were inspired by a 2013, $600 temporary protected bike lane project that took place in Minneapolis, MN. Initiatives such as these can serve to inform traffic engineers and the public about the benefits and beauty of having separate bike ways. With a few orange traffic cones, some green paint, homemade stencils, plants and a few signs, anyone can help get the conversation about protected bike lanes started! A few tips from Peopleforbikes for hosting a pop-up protected bikeway event ...
If your thinking about bringing a pop-up protected bike lane to your community, you might want to consider using some signage to increase visibility and to let others know about the benefits of protected bike lanes. Access some resources for creating a protected bike lane ...
It's no secret that most fast food kids' menus don't offer many healthy options. With parents and nutritionists pressuring top fast food restaurants to put more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables on kids' menus, some chains are testing the waters. McDonald's announced that Cuties clementines from Sun Pacific will be added as a seasonal fruit option this fall; "junior" bananas are being tested and even blueberries are under consideration as a future option, revealed Greg Watson, senior vice president of menu innovation, in a USA TODAY article. McDonald's increasingly is looking at whole fruits that would rotate according to season and that require less labor and packaging than the current apple slices, which have been a huge hit with more than 1.1 billion packages sold since ...
Check out these new videos that feature minority youths doing Zumba dance moves to inspire kids to have fun and be physically active, thanks to our friends at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Zumba dance blends upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography to provide total-body workouts. These new videos can be used to get your students, family, or team, up and moving for a quick and effective physical activity break. Hey Soul Sista Ghostbusters Love is ...
Bag the Junk brings a easy guide to being prepared for the new snack changes that start this 2014-15 school year. Good News – Healthier Rules for School Snack Food are Now in Place and We’ve Got the skinny on How They Can Work for You and Your Students! The USDA “Smart Snacks” rule applies to all foods sold for consumption at school that are not part of the national school breakfast and lunch programs (vending machines, a la carte items, school stores, fundraisers, etc.). Using the resources below can make changing your school’s food environment as easy as eating an apple. Top 5 Resources to help you prepare for new Smart Snacks rules: Find Smart Snacks guidelines HERE.
Find complete USDA Smart Snacks materials HERE.
To know whether a particular food ...
Voices For Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and American Heart Association (AHA) that works to help all kids eat healthier foods and be more active, has released a toolkit on access to healthy and affordable foods in corner stores entitled “Just Around the Corner.” This toolkit is a compilation of facts, sample materials, and guidance on how to build, engage, and mobilize a social change movement in your state or community on this critical issue. The toolkit is wrapped together by a unique theme designed to maximize interest and action to increase shared use. Together with a collection of parallel toolkits on other proven social change strategies to help kids live more active, healthful lives, Voices for Healthy Kids wants to ...
