A new program in north Fort Collins is working to address health disparities by providing Latinos with more opportunities for bike safety education. The Vida Sana program---an initiative the Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity (CanDo) which and funded by the state and led by The University of Colorado Health---looks for ways to remove barriers to leading a healthy lifestyle for Latinos. According to a news article in the Coloradoan, without proper knowledge of biking in Fort Collins, individuals may feel stressed when traveling by bike. In order to overcome this barrier, Vida Sana is offering culturally appropriate bicycle education which will empower individuals to use their bikes regardless of age, ability or background. To make this opportunity ...
Spinach pancakes with homemade berry syrup? This is one of Febe Hernandez and her family's new favorite recipes thanks to the healthy lifestyle classes she's been attending at the Casa de Colores Headstart Center in Caldwell, Idaho. Children of migrant farmworkers living in Southern Idaho are now able to benefit from a new pilot program aimed at preventing childhood obesity among Latinos. The program, an initiative of the nonprofit Community Council of Idaho, was developed to teach parents important nutrition concepts, healthier ways of preparing food, and how to keep physically active. According to an Idaho Statesmen news article, the Community Council of Idaho recognized the need for such a program after realizing that over one-third of children in local head start centers ...
Families and children in Ohio are one step closer to having increased access to school playgrounds during non-school hours, thanks to legislation recently passed by Ohio lawmakers. According to a blog from the American Heart Association (AHA), legislators enacted this bill on December 17, 2014. The bill will become law 90 days after it's signed by state Governor John R. Kasich. The bill which was supported by State Rep. Gerald Stebelton (R-Lancaster) helps clarify concerns around liability. Often such issues can keep school districts from allowing facilities to be shared with the public during after school hours. “The ability for schools to open up their doors to the community will help maximize community involvement and hopefully begin to support activities that lead to ...
Students from Portland State University are paving the way for a new parklet to be built in the city's SoMa eco district, on Southwest 4th Avenue. The parklet would bring outdoor seating to the area, encourage active transportation, and promote a greater sense of community. Food carts in the area of the planned parklet already attract many locals. With the added parklet locals would also have a place to sit and gather. Once complete, this would mark Portland's third parklet. The students are currently working to raise $15,350 through a crowdfunding campaign. As of January 6, the group had raised $7,892 in funds for the project. Watch the video below to learn more about this initiative. https://youtu.be/C0y3kjxeT6o Click here for more information. Visit the ...
Plans for more active transportation in the small city of Lebanon, Indiana are underway. According to a news story from reporter.net nearly 20 residents gathered in December 2014 to discuss plans for a proposed bike & pedestrian master plan. The plan came after local residents met in February for an active transportation workshop. Shortly after the workshop a steering committee was formed and engineers were hired to help residents formulate the plan. A draft of the latest plan was presented at a city meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17th, 2014. Read the full story ...
How can we succeed in getting more kids outside playing and being physically active? Why not a bike park? Bike parks are recreation facilities dedicated to the purpose of biking. They include various types of trails and pump tracks---segments of a trail or track that is designed for bicycling without pedaling. If you've never heard of a bike park, you'll want to know about the The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)'s Bike Park Initiative and about the work they are doing to aid cities in making biking accessible and attractive for all. The Bike Park Initiative which was developed in partnership with the SRAM Cycling Fund and People for Bikes, identifies promising local government agencies and provides them with technical assistance to create state of ...
Elementary schools belonging to the Miami-Dade County Public School (MDCPS) system in Florida (66% Latino) are exploring new ways of getting students to be active throughout the school day. According to a blog post from PreventObesity.org, in addition to providing students with 30 minutes of daily physical education (PE), the district is now using the concepts of indoor fitness trails and scan technology to provide students with more minutes of physical activity. School hallways are transformed into indoor fitness trails with QR codes that are placed throughout hallways. Teachers schedule a time for using the fitness trail and stop where QR codes are located. They are then scanned with an iPad or mobile device that has a QR reader app installed on it. Once a QR code is ...
A street makeover for San Francisco's Second Street is in the works. According to a news article from socketsite.com plans for the upgrades to Second Street include: bike lanes, sidewalks, plants, and safe roadways---all part of what a true complete street should look like. This project aims to make Second Street a complete street, or a street designed for all road users. According to a factsheet from the San Francisco Public Works department, after gathering all the necessary permits, construction for the project could begin in 2016 and be complete within about a year. Read more about this ...
Thanks to the support of community volunteers, two national organizations, and a private donation, kids living in the city of Tomball, TX can celebrate a new park! On the morning of December 5, a team of over 200 volunteers from 40 different organizations, gathered to donate their time and talents towards something that will benefit everyone---a new park. When kids have access to nearby parks, they're more likely to be physically active and healthy. That's why in 2011, Kaboom! and Humana teamed up to bring more parks to communities in need across the nation. According to a news article from the Houston Chronicle, in 2013, Humana's CEO Bruce Broussard, donated 14 acres of land to the city of Tomball. "I think they were skeptical at first," he stated in The Chronicle. "But ...
