Recent Stories
October 31, 2013
With NJPHK-Newark acting as convener, the Newark Public Schools and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are forging a partnership to transform Newark’s schools into healthier places. The first teacher’s workshop on October 15 was an opportunity for representatives from three pilot schools to hear about the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program and discuss how it can help create a healthier school environment. The Alliance provides tools and resources to aid schools in four areas: create a wellness council, initiate wellness programs for school staff, offer healthier foods, and increase opportunities for physical activity. The Alliance will work with the school representatives, comprising school nurses, physical education teachers and other school staff, to identify the areas of school health in need of improvement and formulate and implement a plan for action. The seven content areas that address school health improvement are policy and systems, school meals, competitive food and beverages, health […]
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October 10, 2013
New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-Trenton) has partnered with four neighborhood stores to bring residents healthier food options as part of the Trenton Healthy Food Network. Participating stores include: Andy’s Food Plus (512 Pennington Avenue), Freddy’s Deli Grocery (50 Sherman Avenue), Monchy’s Deli Grocery (200 N. Clinton Avenue), and Trenton Meat Farms (1335 Princeton Avenue). The goal of the Trenton Healthy Food Network is to increase the availability and sales of healthy, affordable food in local stores and bodegas. “More than half of Trenton children are overweight or obese” said Marissa Davis, project manager of NJPHK–Trenton. “Our goal is to make it easy for Trenton families to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy foods.” NJPHK-Trenton provided technical assistance to help the stores create healthy food displays and develop and implement marketing plans for the new items. As part of the initiative, participating stores will offer: Merchandise […]
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October 6, 2013
Originally posted on nj.com The City of New Brunswick, along with community and collaboration partners held its first Ciclovia for the citizens of its city. Thousands of New Brunswick residents were encouraged to come out on Sunday, October 6th for the free event that took over 3.4 miles of streets with adults and children engaging in leisurely walking, jogging, skating, and dancing. Designed to encourage enjoyment of Downtown New Brunswick, the Ciclovia route exposed participants to many of the city’s attractions, parks and local businesses. It also encouraged people to engage with one another through a variety of activities, including dance, yoga and Zumba classes. Ciclovia is a Spanish word that means “bike way” and is described as a designated bike route or an event that opens the streets for use by pedestrians and cyclists. Ciclovia began in Bogota, Colombia in 1976, as a way to promote community engagement in […]
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September 29, 2013
On September 29 nearly 300 state and local policy-makers and childhood obesity prevention advocates from across the country gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for the 2013 Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit – “The Future of Childhood Obesity: State and Local Success to National Progress.” The summit focused on childhood obesity prevention efforts at the local and state level and how those efforts are influencing national initiatives to promote healthy eating and active living. “It was a powerful gathering of policy-makers and advocates focused on creating and enhancing efforts to get communities more physically active and focused on healthier eating,” said Darrin Anderson, Sr., Ph.D., deputy director, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. “There was a lot of discussion on resources and opportunities for low-income and rural communities to have access to healthier choices.” U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, J.D., served as keynote speaker to officially launch the Summit. “Representative Cummings is a huge […]
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September 21, 2013
On Saturday September 21, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton, in partnership with Greater Mercer Transportation Management Authority, held a bike rodeo in Trenton. Bike rodeos are clinics designed to help teach kids the importance of riding a bicycle safely and what skills and precautions they need to develop to be safe on their bicycles. Nearly 40 kids participated in the rodeo, each of whom got a bike helmet, learned how to wear helmets properly, and were taught some basic cycling and road safety skills. Volunteers from the following organizations ensured the day was successful: Trenton Cycling Revolution, the West Windsor Bicycle-Pedestrian Alliance, the Princeton Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Trenton Bike Exchange, New Jersey DOT, the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, New Jersey Ambassadors in Motion, and graduate students from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. We look forward to many more bike rodeos in […]
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September 13, 2013
Belmar Elementary School’s Giving Garden celebrated a successful growing season with a garden party on September 13. The “thanksgiving” event honored the talents, time and dedication of the many students, parents, community members and staff that created the school’s inviting, productive garden and allowed students and parents to literally “taste” the fruits of their labor. Rochelle Ritacco, parent and garden coordinator called it “an opportunity to relive the amazing journey and to share some delicious and healthy food.” The garden has given students an understanding of the importance of eating more fresh and healthy produce, the fundamentals of agriculture and sustainability, as well as team building. As the tomatoes, beans, squash, potatoes and herbs grew from seeds planted by the students, classmates have seen the vines creeping up to the sky and bursting with life. Children also made stepping stones and painted a mural. The rebirth of the school garden […]
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September 6, 2013
Originally published in Courier Post On a recent gorgeous afternoon, about 20 minutes before school let out, YMCA program director LaShaunda Carter pulled up to Northgate Park in Camden. She was greeted, as usual, by adults engaged in what some euphemistically call “negative activity.” Now, a month into the YMCA’s parks program, the regulars know that when Carter and her staff arrive, it’s time to clear out so neighborhood kids can clamber on the park’s new playground equipment and race to the freshly paved basketball court. “Somebody said, ‘It’s not 3 o’clock yet,’ and I said, ‘That’s why you can still stay here,’ ” Carter said with a chuckle. “At 3 o’clock … they all just left.” Since the summer of 2011, a well-organized infusion of money and programs like this one have tried to reverse Camden’s soaring childhood obesity rate. It’s a complex problem. Tackling it has required a […]
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September 3, 2013
Powered by enthusiastic teachers and parents, the leadership of two School Health Councils and an abundance of great ideas, a $7,500 NJPHK mini-grant to the Monmouth County Health Department is propelling wellness in Monmouth’s Farmingdale and Belmar elementary schools. The Health Councils have a three-pronged agenda: promote healthy eating habits and choices; increase fitness activities for kids, school staff and families; and teach students and families about nutrition and fitness. That formal-sounding goal has resulted in a number of fun activities and learning experiences that have changed the way many students view exercise and healthy eating. The NJPHK mini-grant has funded bus stop signs for Farmingdale’s Walking School Bus, a tabletop salad bar, learn-to-roller-skate lessons, incentives for students who walk, and a puppet show about obesity. In Belmar, funds were used to buy pedometers for an in-school walking program and a 3-D assembly about the importance of nutrition and fitness. […]
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September 3, 2013
As director of general pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, Dr. Nwando Anyaoku treats children with a wide range of illnesses and conditions, but her specialty is childhood obesity. Her interest is both clinical and personal. “Growing up in Nigeria, I had asthma as a child,” she explains, “and it was not well controlled. I loved track and hurdles, but as I grew older, I became less and less active because of my asthma.” Years later, as a practicing pediatrician in Newark, she found herself treating an ever-increasing number of overweight children. “I wondered if they were asthmatic and confronting the same challenges I did as a child. So I actually started out looking at asthma.” The more information she sought, it quickly became clear that childhood obesity was a nationwide epidemic. Asthma was often see alongside obesity. “I also realized that the sooner we get our hands around […]
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August 29, 2013
On Saturday, August 10th, Trenton was all about fun and fitness as the city hosted its third annual African American Pride Fest Sports Expo. With a goal to get young people moving and focused on healthy living, the Expo, held at Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, featured games, fitness challenges, food, and sporting activities, including football, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis and boxing. Members of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton joined in on the fun by providing exciting, engaging and informative fun for young people.. “We set up several games and fitness challenges for children to take part in throughout the day,” said Shannon O’Connor, NJPHK-Trenton. “Our goal was to make sure that the children who participated understood that a healthy lifestyle can be fun, delicious and easy for them to make a part of their daily routine.” NJPHK hosted several games at their event table, including: “Guess the Healthiest Fruits” for […]
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