According to one report, Miami is the fourth most dangerous city for pedestrians in America. Activists seeking safer streets for those who travel by foot, host a series of safety walk events in Miami, in hopes of raising awareness of the issue. As a result, according to a Biscayne Times news report, in February 2013, cyclists and pedestrians gathered for a safety walk which was was held on the corner of Brickell Avenue and SE 15th Road in Miami. One participant held up a sign that read "drive safe, save kids!" Activist Elsa Roberts and others who attended the event received mixed responses from the drivers who passed by. Some drivers who passed by honked their horn in support of the pedestrians, others were hostile. Roberts believes that initiatives like these are the quickest way to help ...
By 2011, Colorado elementary schools were required to provide students with at least 600 minutes of physical activity a month. According to one study, providing daily physical education classes would increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels by 23 minutes a day. The study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that classroom activity breaks provided an average of 19 minutes of MVPA and that active commuting provided 16 minutes of MVPA. Park renovations provided children with an extra 12 minutes of MVPA. Although, limited data exists on whether school districts are complying with this policy, according to this EdNews Colorado article, schools like Red Hawk elementary school have started making positive changes. Kyle Legleiter, a public policy ...
Children in Brownsville are staying active by dancing Zumba. In April of 2012, Brownsville set a world record for hosting the largest Zumbatomic event ever. About 1,000 community members were in attendance for the event and from this group 383 children, ages 15 and under, participated to set a new world record. Zumbatomic is a variation of Zumba, the popular Latin dance work-out routine, that is designed for children ages 15 and under. As this video demonstrates, anyone can dance Zumba, even children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NRAVIPAyI The Zumbatomic event was created as a spin-off of the Brownsville Biggest Loser Challenge--a free 16-week challenge that serves to encourage adults to eat healthier foods and become more active. During these 16 weeks, free Zumba classes, fitness ...
Prior to 2010, San Antonio ranked 6th in the nation for childhood obesity and 12th for adult obesity. By initiating a Complete Streets initiative, the city has improved safety and encouraged alternative means of transportation, including walking, biking, and public transportation. The city's Complete Street's policy was adopted on September 29, 2011, and took effect in October of 2011. San Antonio Metrohealth collaborated with the City’s Planning and Community Development Department and led an interdepartmental working group of planning and engineering professionals on the creation of complete streets recommendations. Implementing a Complete Streets policy has helped make the road safer for cyclists and pedestrians alike, and has provided Latino children living in San Antonio with an ...
The Joint Use Moving People to Play (JUMPP) task force was created as part of the Renew Environments for Nutrition, Exercise & Wellness in Los Angeles County program (RENEW LA County). Through collaboration 16 joint use agreements (shared use agreements) have been established, across seven school districts in the LA County area. RENEW LA County was launched in 2010, with the support of the CDC's "Communities Putting Prevention to Work" (CPPW) initiative. Through initiatives like this, shared agreements are providing a cost-efficient way to increase physical activity, for children living in areas with limited access to public parks. A recent evaluation, of schools in seven school districts with shared use agreements located in the Los Angeles County area, found that two-thirds of ...
The state of Massachusetts launched its Mass in Motion initiative in January 2009 to promote wellness and to prevent obesity. Through Mass in Motion, coordinators in Springfield identified a need to provide children with more safe places for physical activity. Members of Mass in Motion, sought opportunities for funding and identified two school gyms in areas of need, where after school physical activity programs could be developed. Because Mass in Motion had previously partnered with the Parks Department and the school district, they were able to keep gyms open during after school hours to provide children with a basketball program. Although a formal shared use agreement was not signed, Mass in Motion enabled children in Springfield to participate in after school physical activity ...
The Fort Worth 2012 Comprehensive Plan (Chapter 6: Parks and Community Services) states that the city plans on entering into shared use agreements with local school districts in order to increase the amount of park space. The city hopes to increase its park space to 6.1 acres per 1,000 residents by 2025 and recognizes the need to concentrate on areas throughout the city with the highest need. According to the author of an op-ed from the Star Telegram, compared to Austin, Houston, Dallas, Plano, and Arlington, Forth Worth lags behind when it comes to park space. With only 5.3 acres of land per 1,000 residents, and the city rapidly growing, some believe that more should be done to accommodate the need for more ...
According to a report produced for the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia (HHCGA), Latino students in Georgia have the lowest levels of physical activity, when compared to other groups. The state of Georgia recently ranked number 2 in the country for childhood obesity. In efforts to reduce this number, state officials are reaching out to school districts, through the Shape Georgia initiative, and asking them to grant elementary school children an additional 30 minutes of physical activity throughout the day. 30 minutes of Daily Physical Activity They are asking schools to implement the 30 minutes of physical activity on a voluntary basis, in addition to the time children already spend in PE class. Schools like Sope Creek and Yargo Elementary have already seen great success by ...
Three groups, Forest Manor Multi-Service Center, Community Alliance of the Far Eastside and United Northeast Community Development Corporation, have formed the Indy East Food Desert Coalition. They are determined to give their members on the east side of Indianapolis access to healthy, fresh food options. They have partnered with Butler University’s Urban Ecology Department to get some real data that they believe will help them more efficiently minimize the problem that has had real health impacts. Butler University will compile all the data from a questionnaire being distributed online and door to door. The hope is that some real, hard numbers will get the attention of government officials and foundations that can offer them a financial boost. They want to see out preliminary plans ...
