Barbara Berger was more than concerned—she was downright worried about the growing weight and health of her students. The school dietitian in Las Cruces, NM (67.1% Latino population), found it hard to promote healthy eating and physical activity to her teenaged students. That was, until she let students do it themselves in a way that would engage students in a fun, creative story-telling experience. Through the use of creative films and videos, Berger found that the students were not only able to help solve real-world health problems, they had fun and gained valuable life-skills while doing it.
Opening Credits: A Video Idea to Help Middle-Schoolers
Barbara Berger has been involved with health and nutrition education since 2012 for the Las Cruces Public School ...
The #WellnessWins campaign celebrates the importance of strong wellness policies and the great strides districts are already making nationwide! The #WellnessWins campaign celebrates district wellness success and inspires everyone to create healthier school environments, grounded in strong wellness policies. Beginning on April 17, school leaders, community members, and parents can visit WellnessWins.org to download resources, read success stories, and learn how they can support and advance school wellness policies. Support is critical to helping highlight the importance of strong wellness policies and to the campaign’s success! Want to learn how to support #WellnessWins on Social Media? Join the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (@HealthierGen), the Academy of ...
Educational attainment is one of the key determinants of health. While Latinos have made great strides in attaining greater education – the Latino high school dropout figures are at all-time lows and more are enrolling in two- and four-year universities – there is still a long way to go before they are achieving secondary degrees at the level of whites. In the state of New York (18.4% Latino population) the dream of attending college just got a lot easier for many. Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a plan for tuition-free college in January and state lawmakers approved the plan mid-April. For residents who earn up to a specific “income cap,” tuition will be free. The income figure will be determined over the next three years. Starting this fall, however, students whose ...
When we are talking about academic performance, there is no right or wrong way to "workout." Any physical activity to get you moving and to get your blood pumping is beneficial and can boost your mood and help you reset and focus. Confederation Park Community School in Saskatoon Canada opens their gym all day and allows students to leave class at any time to burn off some energy. The goal is to empower kids to explore different kinds of physical activity when they feel like they can't concentrate in class. They can walk or run, do weights, play on gymnastics rings, flip big tires over, throw weighted balls, do yoga, dance, and many more activities. "Brain breaks" are one effective method to get kids moving in the classroom, but, as parents and teachers know, kids come to ...
The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program is an evidence based physical activity and nutrition program for schools that promotes healthy food choices among children. For over 25 years, the CATCH platform has been the most cost effective means of preventing childhood obesity, in an environment that’s fun and easy to sustain. They are the originators of "GO, SLOW, and WHOA" for identifying healthful foods. CATCH has a new digital website! In Spanish, too! "The program aims to impact messaging a child receives in physical education, the lunchroom, the classroom, and the home, to form an effective resource that impacts a child’s choices not only in school, but lifelong." Share this with teachers, PE teachers, principals, school administrators, and student ...
As Latinos continue to grow as a population (they are currently the nation’s largest racial and ethnic minority group), the focus on increasing educational opportunities for them has become a front burner topic on the agenda of many organizations. In Modesto, Calif. (37.54% Latino population), one local institution has taken an innovative approach to not only increase Latino enrollment, but also to ensure that they succeed once they begin. Modesto Junior College recently completed its Hispanic Education Conference in which hundreds of local students were “exposed to higher education” through a series of workshops and motivational speakers. Increasing Latino students’ exposure to higher education outlets has been identified as a key way to eliminating some barriers that they ...
More Latino youths are not in school and not working than white youths, according to a new report. These youth—also called "disconnected"—face hurdles as they become adults where they live. This includes lower rates of education, and higher rates of child poverty, unemployment, and teen births. 1 in 8 U.S. youths ages 16-24 are "disconnected." Disconnection, a new measure in the new 2017 County Health Rankings, creates health and economic issues. "Youth disconnected from opportunity—meaning the chance to advance in school, gain work experience, form relationships, and build social supports in the community—represent untapped potential to strengthen the social and economic vibrancy of our communities," according to the report.
How to Help
The County Health Rankings, ...
In recent years, Latinos have made great strides in achievement in education. Latino high school dropout rates are at an all-time low and more and more Latinos are enrolling in two- and four-year colleges and universities. In Sheldon, IA (5.99% Latino population), a new program has been launched to help the community’s Latinos excel even more in school. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Northwest Iowa Community College are excited to offer local Latino families with the opportunity to take part in what’s being called “Juntos para una mejor educación” (Together for a Better Education). According to radio station KIWA, extension officials have described the program as a series of activities for middle school students and their families with the goal ...
What makes a great teacher? Great teachers not only work hard to ensure the academic success and leadership skills of their students, they also help students develop healthy habits for life. That's why we at Salud America! are excited to spotlight some teachers who have gone above and beyond for the well-being of their students!
Ana Suffle: School Garden Maven
El Paso, Texas, shares its border with Mexico. This creates an interesting cultural dynamic where some students cross the border daily from Mexico to go to Bowie High School in El Paso. Ana Suffle, a 15-year teacher at Bowie, said many students eat cheap, addictive fast food instead of traditional Hispanic dishes filled with fresh veggies, spices and tons of flavor, according to a Salud Hero story by Salud ...
