AAC F A M I L Y A N D F R I E N D S » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » Health, wellness big trends
go by. Another point to consider is teaching our children to be active and eat healthy foods so that they can enjoy their own health and wellness. Here are two programs that I have recently been involved with to help this coming generation learn some history, to stay active and have access to more healthy foods. What can you do in your county to provide increased access to an active lifestyle and healthy eating? Searcy High School – “A Walk through History” Last year I had a random idea during my daily lunchtime
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walk around the capitol grounds. While admiring all the monuments and thinking about the history of this area as well as that of our county seats, I thought it would be cool if someone could combine the history with a fitness trail. I happen to mention the idea to a couple of friends and from there the idea has grown at an unbelievable pace. Searcy High School EAST students in White County are one of the groups that have taken on this project. To date the Searcy students are the farthest along in the “Walk through History” with their trail kick-off: a Zombie Fun Run/Walk held last November. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the EAST
Initiative, here’s a little background. For 17 years the EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) Initiative has been a part of improving education in Arkansas. EAST classrooms are in more than 200 schools in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. More than 20,000 EAST students have the opportunity to create student-driven service projects that incorporate the use of innovative technology with a commitment to community service. Students, by participating in these service projects, develop personal responsibility and much-needed skills to solve problems logically and communicate effectively. EAST students in Searcy have partnered with government agencies and businesses to map out a “trail” that highlights the historical points of interest in the White County seat. They have done the research, selected the historical/fitness stops for phase one, and discovered grant money to finance the project. (The project has become so large that the students decided to break it into phases, making it an ongoing and growing project for years to come.) The students have put together a Web site, measured and marked distances using GPS devices, and gathered fitness information to make each “stop” along the trail not only a history lesson but an exercise time. The EAST students believe that this “Walk through History” will benefit a large swath of the population: people who work in the downtown area for a fitness break in their workday; all levels and subject areas of school children; area families with a fun, free, educational, and active family time opportunity; and tourists that can learn the rich history of the county while engaging in activity at the same time. The entire project is student led with their teacher, Rinda Hall, serving in a facilitator capacity. The next phase of the
COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2014
e are all thinking about how to take care of ourselves so we can live long, healthy, productive lives. The quality of our lives is a very important factor to consider as the years
project is to add signage to each historical stop that will include QR codes to access the Searcy EAST Web site. This will provide historical as well as fitness information like distance from the last stop, pacing, and suggestions for additional exercises.
American Heart Association (AHA) and Teaching Gardens In October, the production and
film crew of The Biggest Loser revisited me to see how I was doing two years after being on the show. In the process they brought a Teaching Garden to Benton Middle School. The AHA and Bonnie Plants provided about $25,000 worth of materials so that the sixth and seventh graders could witness the process of growing their own food first-hand. Not only did they plant, nurture, and harvest, but they also dined on the fruits of their labor. Since they invested their time and effort in this project, they were much more willing to “clean their plates” when it came time to prepare and eat their vegetables. Teaching Gardens came about from a partnership between the AHA and child-nutrition activist and philanthropist, Kelly Meyer. This program was designed to take a new approach in the fight against childhood obesity. The AHA has written the curriculum for this program so that students can plant a garden that becomes a real-life learning laboratory. Students plant, nurture, and harvest produce to develop an understanding of the value of good eating habits. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to be a small part of this project. The students, faculty, staff and administration have done a fabulous job of taking this project on and running with it. And, since the AHA follows up regularly and updates their curriculum, this garden will live on to teach and feed many more students for years to come.
Becky Comet AAC Member Benefits Manager
Savings times 2
Wallet & waistline
Teaching Gardens at Benton Middle School. 15
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