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May 5, 2014
On May 5th, Paul Robeson Elementary School in Trenton added gardening to its curriculum when students, faculty, parents and members of the community gathered to open an American Heart Association Teaching Garden on the school grounds. The garden is part of an education initiative to help build healthy bodies and minds. Representatives from the American Heart Association, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-Trenton) and Living Hope Empowerment Center (LHEC) joined in the May 5th Plant Day Celebration. Aimed at first- through fifth-graders, the garden will be a hands-on experience enabling children to learn how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits. Garden-themed lessons will teach students about nutrition, math, science and other subjects all while having fun in the fresh air and working with their hands. The Teaching Garden was created using American Heart Association science and nutrition guidelines, […]
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April 26, 2014
Children and their families got a taste of summer at the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day in April. Healthy Kids Day is a YMCA tradition celebrated across the country. Each year as children begin yearning for summer vacation, local Ys sponsor a safe and healthy play day to preview summer activities and underscore the importance of safety and wellness. The event allows families to try out Y summer programs, which focus on good nutrition and fun physical activity. New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-Vineland) helped the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA celebrate its 10th Healthy Kids Day on April 12, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Vineland. More than 200 children and adults enjoyed the many activities, including a family obstacle course. Adults and children raced one another through an inflatable playground and crawled, jumped and ran through various obstacles to reach the big slide at end. The Y also […]
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April 5, 2014
Originally published in The Daily Journal Last week, the 2014 New Jersey state report titled “Providing Access to Healthy Solutions — An Analysis of New Jersey’s Opportunities to Enhance Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes” was released. The report, written by PATHS (Providing Access to Healthy Solutions), an initiative led by the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI), provides an overview of the landscape of type 2 diabetes in New Jersey, where approximately 700,000 individuals live with the disease and many others are at risk for developing it, including children. New Jersey ranks No. 3 in the nation for obesity among low-income children ages 2 to 5, of whom 16.6 percent are obese. In Cumberland County, the prevalence of obesity is 33.4 percent. These children are at greater risk of receiving a diabetes diagnosis in their future. This new report is a welcome […]
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April 5, 2014
Fresh fruit cups are a best-seller at Andy’s Food Plus at 512 Pennington Avenue in Trenton’s North Ward. The fruit cups debuted in November 2013 when Andres Torres, the store’s proprietor and a member of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-Trenton) Healthy Corner Store Initiative, began stocking and promoting more healthy food choices. Torres, who grew up in the grocery business and opened his Trenton store seven years ago, likes to eat healthy himself and enjoys making affordable healthy snacks and meals available to his customers. Each morning, he hand-slices enough fresh fruit to fill 50 12-ounce cups. “I try to make something different every day,” Torres explained. “I use mangoes, strawberries, grapes, melons; whatever is fresh and available.” Fruit cups sell for $1.00 and usually are sold out by day’s end. Andy’s Food Plus is one of four stores to sign on with the newly-evolved Trenton Healthy […]
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April 5, 2014
Many good ideas become one-hit wonders because they don’t get enough support to thrive. Fortunately in Monmouth County, the good idea New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) had when it provided a mini grant to the Monmouth County Health Department back in 2012 has taken hold. Belmar School’s Board of Education is ensuring that successful healthy initiatives are sustained. They recently funded a teacher advisor for the Belmar school garden, making it an official club. In addition, the Belmar School Health Council is using self-sustaining efforts such as selling vegetable and herb seeds and selling a recipe book from the Belmar Elementary School Healthy Chopped Salad Competition to fund the garden this year. A more healthy approach is being sustained in school cafeterias too. “Food services started taking ingredients from the school garden, such as cucumbers, basil and tomatoes, and incorporating them into cafeteria recipes such as salads and […]
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April 5, 2014
At Belmar Elementary School, one good idea led to another, and another, until there was a recipe book full of good ideas. After reading a newspaper article about an elementary school’s healthy chopped salad contest, Lisa Lee, field representative for Disease Control and School Health Council project coordinator for the Monmouth County Health Department, shares the story with the School Health Councils at the Belmar Elementary School and the Farmingdale Elementary School. The School Health Council at Belmar ran with it. On February 19, Belmar Elementary students and parents participated in the first Belmar Chopped Healthy Salad Competition. Fifteen children, representing pre-K through 8th grade, created a variety of salads (with some parental assistance) and offered them for tasting by students, parents and judges. The entries were as diverse as the school population. Ingredients included kale, edamame, homemade tortilla chips and sesame seeds, as well as staples like fruit and […]
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April 5, 2014
Dr. Nwando Anyaoku served as one of four experts on The State of NJ’s Health: Growing Healthy Kids town hall. Hosted by Mike Schneider, managing editor of NJTV News with Mike Schneider, the program examined the causes of the current childhood obesity crisis and the many organizations that have mobilized to tackle the problem. The program also focused on the promising strategies for addressing the epidemic and provided viewers with ways to make a difference in their own communities. Viewers also learned how neighbors are building playgrounds, launching farmer’s markets and bringing supermarkets to areas once called “food deserts.” “Nearly one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese,” stated Dr. Anyaoku, co-director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark, and director of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “Childhood obesity brings with it a plethora of health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes […]
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April 5, 2014
More than 1,600 high school students attended the 44th Annual Northeast Regional YMCA Model United Nations (UN) Conference in Hershey, PA. The three-day conference was held over two weekends in January and included students from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. The YMCA Model UN program introduces students to the operation and structure of the UN while providing them with an opportunity to actively learn about world cultures and debate issues of international importance. The program promotes leadership through character development, while introducing students to a vast array of ideas. “The YMCA Model UN program is distinct because students lead the committees,” stated Curtis Myers, director of the Model UN student program and Civic Engagement for the YMCA of Burlington/Camden Counties. “Our program focuses on compromise, finding solutions, and student development to achieve our goal of “developing tomorrow’s global leaders, today,” said Myers who also serves as executive […]
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April 5, 2014
Visitors to the New Jersey Adventure Aquarium on January 30 who made a left at the shark tank found themselves at the NJPHK-Camden SMART Initiative Forum exhibit. Valeria Galarza, NJPHK-Camden project manager, and Alexis Sangalang, FoodCorps service member, were promoting the gardening, parks, and playground initiatives spearheaded by NJPHK-Camden in this second annual forum focused on sustainability and green initiatives in Camden. NJPHK-Camden’s exhibit attracted a steady crowd of onlookers. “Turnout was impressive and we welcomed the chance to spread the word about the positive environmental impact NJPHK-Camden and our partners are creating here in Camden,” Galarza said. “Improving the areas where residents and their families play and enjoy the outdoors is so important in the fight against childhood obesity. We have had some true successes and were happy to share our stories.” NJPHK-Camden was one of 16 exhibitors. Speakers at the forum included Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd, who […]
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April 1, 2014
Originally published in The Daily Journal Last week, the 2014 New Jersey state report titled “Providing Access to Healthy Solutions — An Analysis of New Jersey’s Opportunities to Enhance Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes” was released. The report, written by PATHS (Providing Access to Healthy Solutions), an initiative led by the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI), provides an overview of the landscape of type 2 diabetes in New Jersey, where approximately 700,000 individuals live with the disease and many others are at risk for developing it, including children. New Jersey ranks No. 3 in the nation for obesity among low-income children ages 2 to 5, of whom 16.6 percent are obese. In Cumberland County, the prevalence of obesity is 33.4 percent. These children are at greater risk of receiving a diabetes diagnosis in their future. This new report is a welcome […]
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