Physical Activity Fact

Ninety-three schools (86% response rate) and 5248 students (77% response rate) participated in the Georgia Youth Fitness Assessment.  The study was conducted to assess health-related fitness in Georgia's fifth- and seventh-grade students, provide a baseline against which future progress could be measured, and guide public and private leaders and decision makers. Fifty-two percent of students did not meet the standard for healthy aerobic fitness; 23% did not meet the standard for muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility; 30% were outside the recommended range for BMI. Twenty-two percent did not achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. All subgroups (e.g., boys/girls, urban/rural) scored poorly.  The study concluded that substantial numbers of Georgia's fifth- and seventh-grade students exhibit unhealthy levels of physical fitness. These data are consistent with the suggestion that physical inactivity has led to deficient levels of health-related fitness in more areas than just body composition.  Low Physical Fitness Among Fifth- and Seventh-Grade Students, Georgia, 2006 Kenneth E. Powell, Alice M. Roberts, James G. Ross, Mary Ann C. Phillips, Dawud A. Ujamaa, Mei Zhou; American Journal of Preventive Medicine - April 2009 (Vol. 36, Issue 4, Pages 304-310, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.11.015)

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Physical Activity Stressed In Course

http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news_local.asp?id=BJGSPP6GISo

Leader-Telegram, March 22, 2009

A new program at UW-Eau Claire is intended to help area children with disabilities get active and have some fun while doing it.  The PRIDE Program, led by assistant professor Marquell Johnson, is open to children ages 5 to 16 and will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday nights for seven weeks in Gyms B and C of the McPhee Physical Education Building.  The first session is Thursday.  Johnson said PRIDE - an acronym for Physical activity and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities in the Eau Claire area will help disabled children improve motor and sensory skills within a small group setting.  The activities, sports and games will be individualized to suit the participants' needs. More…

 

Competitive Instinct And Team Spirit Can Get You A Long Way

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301788.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Washington Post, March 24, 2009

In every race I run, I always manage to end up just behind my arch nemesis.  It doesn't matter that I've never met this person before.  Nor that this person knows absolutely nothing about our intense feud.  Nor that it's a different person each time.  All I know is I'm not letting Ms. Purple Shorts get to the finish line before me.   According to Ed Acevedo, president of the American Psychological Association's division of exercise and sports psychology, that behavior doesn't make me crazy.  It makes me human.  "We're genetically programmed that way.  We always lean toward doing something a little better" than someone else, he says..More…

 

Healthy Carolina Matches Students For Workouts

http://media.www.dailygamecock.com/media/storage/paper247/news/2009/03/26/TheMix/Healthy.Carolina.Matches.Students.For.Workouts-3683499.shtml

The Daily Gamecock, March 25, 2009

Finding a fitness buddy is like dating - sharing similar interests with a partner at a mutually comfortable pace.  Student Health Services is attempting to facilitate an on-campus initiative to improve health and fitness with a new online network that might match like-minded exercisers.  Fitness Buddies, a new online networking tool created by Healthy Carolina, is designed to establish a fitness community within USC.  Its goal is to help establish fitness goals through encouragement and companionship.  Within just a week of its inception, 83 people registered on the Fitness Buddies site.  When the site went live March 16, Healthy Carolina sent out 6,000 postcards to faculty and staff members, blasted e-mails to academic and departmental listservs and worked with the USC Times to promote the new program.  More…

 

New CDC Study Says Fear of Arthritis Pain May Keep People with Heart Disease Inactive

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/34924/

Kansas City InfoZin, Mar 25, 2009

A new nationwide Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study shows that 56.6 percent of Kansas adults with heart disease also have arthritis, a painful condition that may be a barrier to physical activity—an essential strategy for people trying to manage and control their heart disease.  In Kansas, 27.2 percent of adults have arthritis and 6.5 percent of adults have heart disease.  Research shows that engaging in joint-friendly activities such as walking, swimming, biking and participating in arthritis-specific exercise programs can help manage both conditions.  For people with heart disease, physical activity helps to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.  For those who have arthritis, physical activity reduces pain, improves function and delays disability.  More…

 

Small Steps Are Better Than No Steps

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/25/small-steps-are-better-than-no-steps/

The Tampa Tribune, March 25, 2009

It's quite possible you're parked on your took us right now, smack dab in the middle of sedentary behavior land.  Medical researchers say that's a dangerous place to hang.  Spend too much time sitting, reclining or lying down in front of the TV, at the computer, or riding in the car, and you're boosting the odds you'll develop problems ranging from obesity to cardiovascular disease.  No one's surprised that sedentary behavior isn't healthful, still American children and adults spend about 7.7 hours a day in this mode, according to a 2008 study released in the American Journal of Epidemiology.  And that's not counting the eight hours of sleep we get each night on average.More…

 

Students Lead Health Council

http://www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders/ci_11994806?source=rss

Highlanders Community News, March 25, 2009

Dancing in front of more than 130 students in a medical center was not something two Baldwin Park girls thought they would have the confidence to do.  But after Kathia Guardarrama, 13, and Mileena Acosta, 12, listened to presentations by several physicians and a fitness guru, that all changed.  As two of California's newest fitness ambassadors, the Jones Middle School students mustered up the courage to lead a room full of physicians, teachers and students with a few disco moves.  Their newfound confidence emerged at their appointment as ambassadors for California Governor's Council on Fitness and Sports at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center Sports on March 20, after learning about healthy eating, fitness and self-esteem.  More…

 

Legislature Moves Forward On School-Related Bills

http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=15249

The Longmont Times-Call, March 26, 2009

No more couch potatoes.  That was Denver Democrat Chris Romer’s intent when he introduced Senate Bill 131, which would require all elementary schools to provide students with 150 minutes of physical activity a week.  Physical activity can include recess, exercise programs, fitness breaks and physical education class.  But the House has changed the bill to “encourage” school districts to provide the activity time, instead of mandating that school districts do so.  Romer isn’t happy with the changes, he said Wednesday.  “It’s absolute science that active children do better (in school),” Romer said.  More…

 

Morbidly Obese Remain Sedentary For 99% Of Day

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/Obese-sedentary-for-99-of-the-day/articleshow/4320103.cms

The Times of India, March 26, 2009

Morbidly obese people are likely to remain sedentary for more than 99% of the day, leading to poor fitness and increased cardiovascular risk, according to a new study.  Morbidly obese individuals are those, whose body mass indexes are between 40.0 and 49.9.  On average, they walked less than 2,500 steps per day - far below healthy living guidelines of 10,000 steps per day.  During the study, the researchers Thomas Vanhecke, Barry Franklin,Wendy Miller, Adam deJong, Catherine Coleman and Peter McCullough of William Beaumont Hospital used a precise body sensor to continually measure physical activity, caloric expenditure and movement minute-by-minute over a 72-hour period within their home environments.  More…

 

Parents Want School Approved Ski Club Back

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_news_details/article/27/2009/march/26/parents-want-school-approved-ski-club-back-1.html

The Intelligencer, March 26, 2009

Central Bucks officials said liability issues led to the decision to stop sponsoring the trips. Superintendent N. Robert Laws is looking into the issue further.  Connor McCann can't think of anything more fun than hitting the ski slopes on a snowy Friday night.  "Every Friday in the winter, that's the main thing my friends and I look forward to. It's something that all of us look forward to," the eighth-grader said.  And now that school district administrators have canceled the clubs, Connor said, "It feels like a huge chunk out of my social life."  Connor joined about 15 of his classmates and their parents in asking the Central Bucks school board this week to consider reinstating the ski clubs.  School administrators decided earlier this month to close down the ski clubs because of safety and liability concerns.  Superintendent N. Robert Laws said this week: "We have lots of kids. And while we have lots of chaperones, it's still a pretty high student-to-chaperone ratio.  When the students spread themselves across the mountain, it's difficult to have really good supervision."..More…

School Could Receive Sizeable Grant For Altered Physical Education Standards

http://houstonconews.com/articles/2009/03/25/news/03schoolboard.txt

Houston County News, March 26, 2009

The La Crescent-Hokah School District is altering its physical education standards, and because of some intensive grant writing, it’ll likely get $565,000 over three years to do so.  At the Board of Education meeting March 18, curriculum director Julie Beddow-Schubert asked the board to consider the alterations after a recommendation from the district’s physical education teachers and curriculum steering committee. She said the physical education standards haven’t been updated in a few years, and a stipulation of the grant is the school needs to be in line with state standards.  More…

 

UBC study reveals that taking transit can boost physical fitness

http://www.straight.com/article-210108/ubc-study-reveals-taking-transit-can-boost-physical-fitness

The Georgia Straight, Mar 26, 2009

Two UBC researchers have published a paper reporting that transit users are three times more likely than car commuters to meet recommended U.S. guidelines for physical activity through walking.  In the Journal of Health Policy, graduate student Ugo Lachapelle and associate professor Lawrence Frank of the school of community and regional planning wrote that making "transit incentives" more widely available might increase the proportion of people walking more often.  More…

 

Fisher: Fitness for a longer life, but don't call it exercise

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12019641?source=rss

San Jose Mercury News, March 28, 2009

I have seen my future, and it's "Sit and Be Fit," or maybe "Farewell to Falls.  "Someday, in the not-too-distant future, I'll be sweating it out in a senior exercise class with a bunch of aging baby boomers in sagging spandex — except it won't be called an exercise class, and we won't be called seniors.  "Exercise is a bad word," says Lori Andersen of the Health Trust. "It sounds too much like work."  And no self-respecting boomer wants to be called a "senior." Isn't 60 the new 40?  Andersen spoke to about 125 people from local community centers and nonprofit agencies Friday about how to help our aging population stay fit so they'll stay healthier longer.  The Health Trust convened the daylong session at Santa Clara University to share the latest research on the ways to engage seniors — I mean, people of a certain age — in healthy activity.  We all know the benefits of the E-word. Even moderate activity staves off heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes and dementia. It reduces falls, the leading cause of injuries for older adults.  More…

 

Special Alert

National Run A Mile Day Set

Youth Runner Magazine To Partner On May 9th Mile Run Event

Four laps on a track are all it takes to run a mile.  On May 9^th, the American Running Association (ARA) aims to show kids and adults that running the mile can be fun and rewarding with the 2^nd Annual “National Run A Mile Day™.”  The American Running Association (ARA) and its partner Youth Runner Magazine (YR) aim to show parents and kids that the mile is not an obstacle and can lead to a life of fitness and fun while running.  “We were inspired by the athletes of the post-World War II era who sought to break what was considered an impenetrable barrier:  the sub 4 minute mile,” commented ARA Executive Director Dave Watt.   “What Roger Bannister accomplished on a cinder track in 1954 by breaking the 4 minute barrier ushered in a new era in athletic competition,” added Watt.

 

Simply put, the mile became the race in track and field. Today, ARA seeks to get more Americans physically active through running.  “If it’s walking first, then a run we’re all for it,” said Watt.  Dan Kesterson of Youth Runner is bringing his publication’s energies into the Mile Day event.  “We want to tell stories of America’s youth who run.  This National Day of running a mile can create a buzz among kids in all schools,” said Kesterson, the Oregon-based publisher of the national youth publication.   Together Youth Runner and American Running aim to lure as many youth, parents, teachers and adults to hit a local track on May 9^th and run a mile.

 

ARA is seeking community hosts for a National Run A Mile Day™ event in all 50 states  “All events are free; no entry fees will be taken,” said Watt.   Organizers can fundraise on the MILE DAY events by selling event tees that may be purchased from ARA.  Each interested community host would need to secure a local track and hold a series of mile races on May 9.   “ARA and YR will provide free website coverage for each group who wants to hold a RUN A MILE DAY event,” added ARA’s Watt.

 

All Run A Mile Day event sites will receive:

• Low-cost RUN A MILE DAY t-shirts for sale (2009 logo on t-shirts)
• Recognition and stories at Youthrunner.com and Youth Runner Magazine
• 8 week Walk-Run training plan for youth groups from the ARA site
• Post photos and a video from May 9 Mile events

 

At 10 Selected Event sites, ARA will provide 30 RUN A MILE DAY 2009 medals for 6 youth age groups; the top 3 finishers in each age event for boys and girls

 

For interested RUN A DAY organizers, email American Running or call 800-776-2732 x 13*(Dave Watt).   ARA and YR will post all mile times from any group and individual.

 

  

University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse Physical Activity Mentoring Program for Children with Disabilities

The Physical Activity Mentoring Program for Children with Disabilities is sponsored by the Center on Disability Health and Adapted Physical Activity at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.  This innovative community service program matches college students (mentors) with children and young adults (mentees) with disabilities, ages 5-25 years.  The goals of the mentoring program are to increase physical activity, improve nutrition habits, and enhance community-based experiences for persons with disabilities through significant one-on-one relationships.

Mentors are college students from all areas of academic study who are interested in obtaining meaningful experiences working with children or young adults with disabilities. A background in or experiences working with persons with disabilities is helpful, but not required for mentors.  Program staff prepares college students for participation.  Mentors must pass background checks and participate in training sessions prior to providing physical activity experiences.  Program sessions are 8-weeks in length, with a minimum of two, 1-hour meetings per week with mentees for physical activity.  Times during the week are very flexible and mutually arranged between the college student and parents/guardians.

 

Mentees are referred to the program by parents, teachers, friends, counselors, and others. A mentee application must be completed by a parent/guardian for participation consideration.  The program is free, but minor fees may apply when participating in community programs or activities.  College student mentors are NOT allowed to transport mentees for any aspect of the program. 

 

Physical activity takes place in numerous settings including UW-La Crosse facilities such as the Wittich Hall swimming pool, the Eagle Student Recreation Center, and Mitchell Hall.  Off campus sites for physical activity include Hixon Forest, Myrick Park, bowling alleys, Forest Hills Golf Course, La Crosse Park and Recreation Department areas, YMCA, bike/running/walking trials, and many other La Crosse area locations.  The types of physical activity are wide ranging, but we emphasize relevant experiences that link with school goals, parent requests, and/or involvement in community programs in which the mentee is enrolled or planning to enroll for future participation.

 

Click here to view a DVD and see the Physical Activity Mentoring Program in action.

 

 
 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission Says Health Care Reform Won't Solve Nation's Health Problems – Reforms to Support Healthier Choices Urgently Needed

Children Face Grim Prospect of Sicker, Shorter Lives than their Parents

Commission Calls for: All Sectors of Society to Join in Eliminating Obstacles to Good Health; Banning Junk Food and Requiring Physical Activity in Schools;  Support for Early Education

Essential as health care reform is, it will not be enough to close most of the gap between how healthy Americans are and how healthy they could be.  Without urgent action to take proven steps that can make a big difference in health, America’s children could have sicker, shorter lives than their parents, according to a prominent national commission.

 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America today urged all Americans to make healthier choices and society to help remove the obstacles so many people face in making those choices, issuing 10 cross-cutting recommendations for improving the nation’s health.  According to the Commission, how long and how well Americans live depend more on where we live, learn, work and play than on medical care, which accounts for only an estimated 10 to 15 percent of preventable early deaths.  Building a healthier nation requires a broader view of health, the Commission said.

 

The Commission paid particular attention to crafting effective measures for meeting the needs of children and families.  “To build a healthier America, it’s essential to put improving health front and center on the national agenda outside of health care and health programs,” said Commission Co-chair Mark McClellan, former head of the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  “Today’s children are at greater risk for a lifetime of poor health, limiting their opportunities for productive and long lives.  This is unacceptable, but the evidence is clear that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

 

According to the Commission, Americans are not nearly as healthy as they should be – regardless of where they live and their income, education and racial or ethnic group.  Good health begins with personal responsibility, but the nation’s health will not improve unless individuals do more to incorporate health into all aspects of everyday life, and unless leaders do more in their decision making to support healthier decisions – from education to child care to community planning to business practices, the Commission said.  The Commission spent a year exploring the state of America’s health and how health is shaped by where and how people live their lives. 

“Everyone must be involved in the effort to improve health because health is everyone’s business,” said Co-chair Alice M. Rivlin, former head of the White House Office of Management and Budget and the first director of the Congressional Budget Office.  “People should make healthy choices by eating better, getting enough physical activity and not smoking.  Communities and employers should support those choices by creating healthy environments.  And the federal government should make and enforce healthy policies, like ensuring that all subsidized food is healthy and junk food is eliminated from schools.”

 

The RWJF Commission is a national, independent and nonpartisan group comprising innovators and leaders with a rich diversity of experience and depth of knowledge.  (See attached list of Commission members.)  The Commission’s charge was to focus on factors beyond medical care to identify practical and innovative strategies for improving the nation’s health.

 

The Commission’s recommendations are rooted in the twin philosophy that good health requires individuals to make responsible personal choices and society to remove the obstacles blocking too many Americans from making healthier choices and leading healthier lives.  Given the seriousness of the nation’s economic downturn, the Commission also focused on developing proven and feasible recommendations that offer the strongest potential to leverage limited resources. 

 

Among the Commission’s key recommendations are:

•       Give kids a healthy start.  Ensure that all children, especially very young children in low-income families, have high-quality education and child care.  This means increasing federal government spending to support early childhood development for young children in low-income families.  This recommendation is critical, because evidence is now very strong that early childhood has a tremendous impact on a person’s health across a lifetime.

•       Get kids moving.  All schools (K-12) should include at least 30 minutes every day for all children to be physically active.  Although children should be active at least one hour each day, only one third of high school students currently meet this goal.

 

 “For too long we have focused on medical care as the solution to our health problems, when the evidence tells us the opposite,” said RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.  “We must make it possible for more people to make healthy decisions and avoid getting sick in the first place. The Commission has provided us with a principled, sensible and experience-driven blueprint.  We cannot afford to wait to implement these recommendations.”

 

Several of the RWJF Commission’s recommendations reinforce elements of the economic stimulus package recently passed by Congress.  For example, the new law provides additional funding for nutrition assistance to low-income families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly Food Stamps.  The law also provides an additional $500 million to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).  The Commission believes that adequate funding of SNAP and WIC is essential to ensuring that the nutritional needs of all families are met.

 

In addition, the stimulus package offers opportunities for states and communities to act on the Commission’s recommendations that health be incorporated into all facets of policy and decision making.   For example, when stimulus funds are to be used to rebuild roads, communities should also build sidewalks and bike lanes to expand opportunities for physical activity.

 

 
 

Bike/Ped Infrastructure Dollars Available To States, Cities And Counties

Through ARRA Energy Efficiency Grants

This week, the U.S. Department of Energy released guidelines for the billions of stimulus dollars available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG).  Additional information is provided below on this funding source.

 

In addition to the EECBG funding, advocates should continue to focus on the Transportation Enhancements (TE) funding within their states.  States have access to approximately $800 million in stimulus funds for the TE program, and many states are making decisions now about how to program this funding.  This is a primary source of funding for bicycle, pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School projects.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECGB) program is a new program created in late 2007 and funded for the first time through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  The program provides funding for local governments, states, territories and Indian tribes, to support projects that reduce energy use, decrease fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency in all sectors, including transportation.  Because the funding comes through ARRA, additional goals have been added focused on job creation and economic stimulus.

 

Two of the goals of EECBG funding are right in line with bicycle, pedestrian, and Safe Routes to school programs projects and could be beneficial to communities who want to develop bicycling and pedestrian networks and improve access to work, school, and retail:

• Prioritize energy efficiency and conservation first as the cheapest, cleanest, and fastest ways to meet energy demand.
• To maximize benefits over the longest possible terms, entities should look for ways to link their energy efficiency efforts to long-term priorities (especially community economic development, community stabilization and poverty reduction efforts).

 

ARRA included $3.2 Billion for EECBG, of which $2.7 Billion will be distributed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) via formula grants to all States and at least the ten largest cities and counties within each state.  A list of eligible localities and estimated allocations are available at http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/grantalloc.html.  Click on a state to see the breakdown for counties and cities within the state.

• States, cities and counties that are listed on the EECBG website must apply to DOE directly to receive their allocation.  Applications are due June 26th.
• Cities and counties that are not listed on the website are only eligible to receive funding from their state's Department of Energy.  States must sub-grant 60 percent of their EECBG funding to jurisdictions that are not eligible to apply directly to DOE. States must apply for their funding by May 25th, and will be developing application procedures and deadlines in the coming months for the sub-grants.

 

In addition, at a later date the Department of Energy will be releasing a separate Funding Announcement for $455 million in competitive grants.

 

There are 13 eligible activities for EECBG funding, including the "Development and Implementation of Transportation Programs to conserve energy."  Within this activity, constructing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements is specifically mentioned.  The U.S. Department of Energy is looking for sustainable projects that create and protect jobs as well reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  DOE will prioritize projects that:

• Leverage other public and private resources;
• Enhance workforce development;
• Persist beyond the funding period; and
• Promote energy market transformation such as revolving loans, low-cost loans, energy savings performance contracting, advanced building codes, building and home retrofit incentives and policies, and transportation programs and policies.

 

Grantees will be required to report regularly to the DOE on five metrics:

• Jobs created and/or retained;
• Energy savings on a per dollar invested basis;
• Renewable energy capacity installed;
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduced; and
• Funds leveraged.

 

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RWJF Announces Health Games Research: Advancing Effectiveness of Interactive Games for Health

Deadline For Applications: April 8, 2009

Health Games Research: Advancing Effectiveness of Interactive Games for Health is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that funds research to enhance the quality and impact of interactive games that are used to improve health. The goal of the program is to advance the innovation, design and effectiveness of health games and game technologies so that they help people improve their health-related behaviors and, as a result, achieve significantly better health outcomes. In this round of funding, approximately $2 million will be available to support outstanding research projects that study one or more games designed to increase physical activity and/or improve self-care.  Health Games Research will award grants to researchers working to improve the quality of interactive health games and increase the impact of health games on players’ health behaviors and outcomes.

 

Shade Structure Grant Program For Organizations Serving Children and Youth

Deadline for Applications:  April 10, 2009

The American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Shade Structure Program are grant awards ($8,000 each) for the purchase of permanent shade structures designed to provide shade and ultraviolet (UV) ray protection for outdoor areas.  The Academy also provides a permanent sign to be displayed near the shade structure promoting the importance of sun safety.  The Academy receives support for this program from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company.  The Shade Structure Program is open to 501(c)(3) organizations that serve children and teenagers, ages 18 and younger.  To be considered applicants must be sponsored by an Academy member dermatologist, demonstrate a commitment to sun safety within their organization and agree to meet a specific timeline.

 

Saucony Run For Good Foundation Offers Funding for Children's Running Programs

Deadline for Applications: June 13, 2009

Established to help end childhood obesity by providing financial  support to nonprofits across the United States that support  children's running and fitness programs, the Saucony Run For  Good Foundation is accepting applications for its grant program.  The grant program is open to nonprofit organizations that initiate and support running and fitness programs for kids.  Eligible  applicants administer programs whose participants are 18 years of  age or younger, have 501(c)(3) status, and can demonstrate that  their program positively impacts the lives of participants through  increased participation in running.  Grants are in amounts up to a maximum of $10,000 each.

 

Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research Rapid Response Grants Round 2 CFP

Deadline for Letters of Intent: July 17, 2009

Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research are national programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that support research to identify promising policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity, promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity.  This call for proposals (CFP) supports time-sensitive, opportunistic studies to evaluate changes in policies or environments with the potential to reach children who are at highest risk for obesity, including African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American and Pacific Islander children (ages 3 to 18) who live in low-income communities or communities with limited access to affordable healthy foods and/or safe opportunities for physical activity. Research studies may focus on one or both sides of the energy balance equation—on physical activity (including sedentary behavior), healthy eating or both. Studies funded under this CFP are expected to advance RWJF’s efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.  Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.

 

Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research Rapid-response Grants

Deadline for Applications:  Rolling

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has posted a call for proposals (CFP) in the Childhood Obesity program area.  The objective of this CFP for rapid-response grants is to support time-sensitive, opportunistic studies that can evaluate changes in policies or environments with the potential to reach children who are at highest risk for obesity, including African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander children (ages 3 to 18) who live in low-income communities or communities with limited access to affordable healthy foods and/or safe opportunities for physical activity.  All studies funded under this CFP are expected to inform the policy debate on childhood obesity and advance RWJF's efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.  Two types of studies are eligible for rapid-response funding: Opportunistic evaluations of imminent changes in policies or environments (i.e., "natural experiments") and studies that can inform an ongoing or upcoming policy debate ( e.g., small experimental studies, secondary data analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, health impact assessments, simulations of policy effects or macro-level policy analyses).   Studies that are not urgent and time-sensitive are not eligible under this CFP.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to clearly demonstrate why the proposed study needs to be funded, conducted and completed on an urgent and time-sensitive basis.  Up to $800,000 total will be awarded for rapid-response research grants during the 2008 calendar year.  The maximum amount for a single grant is $150,000, with a maximum funding period of 12 months. 

 

Athletics and Wellness Support Grants

Deadline for Applications:  Rolling Quarterly Reviews.

Finish Line, an athletic retailer specializing in brand name footwear, apparel and accessories, supports athletic and wellness programs located in communities where their stores are located.  The foundation funds projects registered as 501 (c) (3) organizations; have a primary focus on assisting children and young adults 18 and under; concentrate on athletics or wellness; and benefit communities in which Finish Line stores are located. 

 

NIKE Bowerman Track Renovation Program

Deadline for Applications-Ongoing through May 31, 2009

The Bowerman Track Renovation Program provides matching cash grants to community-based, youth-oriented organizations that seek to refurbish or construct running tracks.  The program distributes approximately $200,000 in matching grants each year.  This 10 year, $2 million program, administered by Nike's Community Affairs department, provides matching funds of up to $50,000 to youth-oriented nonprofit organizations anywhere in the world.  Organizations applying for the grant must demonstrate a need for running track refurbishment or construction.  Grant recipients will provide track access to neighboring communities.  Bowerman Track Renovation Program funds must be matched in some amount by other contributors by an agreed upon deadline.  Recipients of a Bowerman Track Renovation grant are encouraged, but not required, to use Nike Grind technology to resurface their track.  Nike Grind material is made of recycled athletic shoes sliced and ground into rubber granules, providing a superior, environmentally conscious all-weather track surface. 

 

Baseball Tomorrow Fund Offers Support for Youth Baseball and Softball Programs

Deadline for Letters of Inquiry:  Open

The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is a joint initiative between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association designed to promote and enhance the growth of youth participation in baseball and softball.  Grants are intended to finance a new program, expand or improve an existing program, undertake a new collaborative effort, or obtain facilities or equipment necessary for youth baseball or softball programs.  Projects must meet the following criteria: increase the number of youth participating in baseball and softball programs; improve the quality of youth baseball and softball programs; create new or innovative ways of expanding and improving baseball or softball programs; are able to match funds for programs; provide programs for children between the ages of 10 and 16; support existing programs that have demonstrated success in providing a quality youth baseball/softball  experience; and address opportunities for minorities and women.  Nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations involved in youth baseball programs are encouraged to submit a Letter of Inquiry.  Selected applicants are then invited to submit a full application.  Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis.

Recess before Lunch Guide

Montana Team Nutrition Program has developed a guide for success on implementing a Recess Before Lunch Schedule.  They have completed a pilot project and recent principal survey concerning the recess before lunch schedule. .

 

Spanish BodyWorks Toolkits

The BodyWorks toolkit was adapted and translated into Spanish and includes new artwork and photography.  The new program includes a toolkit with Spanish components for parents and English components for adolescent girls and boys. The BodyWorks Train the Trainer and Parent and Caregiver Manuals have also been translated into Spanish.  Please contact us at bodyworks@hagersharp.com if you would like an electronic copy of the Spanish Train the Trainer and Parent Caregiver Manuals.

 

State Policy Solutions Guide on Children and the Outdoors

The National Wildlife Federation has published a comprehensive Children and the Outdoors State Policy Solutions Guide, written by Allen Cooper, Education Campaign Manager at NWF. This guide reviews leading state policy initiatives and provides policy makers and advocates with model solutions to the growing disconnect between children and the natural world.  The publication also contains model resolutions, executive orders, and legislation that will aid efforts to reconnect children and families with nature.