The Links, Incorporated Can You Imagine Me?

1. The Links, IncorporatedCan You Imagine Me? Columbia (MD) Chapter ShavonArline-Bradley, MPH Audra Nixon, MPH Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved Morehouse School of Medicine

2. Program Overview/Goal • To identify the major food groups, select appropriate portion size and create a positive relationship with healthy foods. • Introduce play as exercise (60 minutes a day) • To increase their knowledge and improve their skills of healthy meal preparation by having children create their healthy snack.

3. Demographic Information • Sample Size: n=18 students • AA Children (ages 8-12) • 7 Females, 11 Males • 6-7 year olds (siblings of cohort)

4. Unique Program Highlights The success of was apparent in the growth of the children’s confidence in identifying and choosing healthy food choices and their commitment to return and learn more each week. The goal achieved was to support a familiar paradigm shift in the adoption of attitudes related to healthy lifestyles, fitness, and nutrition.

5. Outcomes • Students were able to: • Actively engage & answer questions asked by the Nutritionist. • Read food labels and decide whether the foods that were selected were healthy.   • Healthy living attitude improved: • As the children learned that healthy food can taste good.

6. Sponsors and Partners • Safeway • Governor’s Office • Columbia Teen Center • Nutritionist • Exercise Specialist • Physician • After school program

7. The Links, IncorporatedCan You Imagine Me? Kenadie Cobbin Richardson Las Vegas Chapter (NV) Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved Morehouse School of Medicine

8. Program Overview: 3 Keys to Success • Captive Audience • Experiential Learning • Engage the Community

9. Captive Audience

10. Experiential Learning

11. Experiential Learning

12. Engage the Community

13. Engage the Community

14. Demographic Information • 63 participants • 4th Graders (Ages 9 and 10) • Gender Breakout • 35 boys • 28 girls

15. Demographic Information • Ethnic Breakout • 25 – African American (35%) • 38 – Latino (60%) • 3 – Caucasian (5%) • 46% - Overweight or Obese • 35% - Obese

16. Outcomes • Our goal was to educate minority youth about healthy eating choices and exercise. After only two sessions, youth demonstrated healthier eating choices as witnessed by teachers and parents. Because so many of the children were overweight and obese, increasing physical activity was a challenge. Many believed that their obesity was normal and not critical to their overall health. • As a community, we began to examine the fact that being overweight is now the norm and in an effort to make children feel comfortable in their skin, we have made them feel okay with being fat.

17. Collaborative Sponsors and Partners • Wal-Mart donated 75 Bikes • Booker Elementary sponsored the facilities and bus transportation • Metro Police Dept– Fitness activities • Raw Food Express chefs – Instruction and Food • Nevada Cooperative Extension – Cooking Lab • University Medical Center - Nurses

18. Program Highlights Video

19. The Links, IncorporatedCan You Imagine Me? Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D. The Little Rock Chapter, The Links Incorporated Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved

20. Program Overview • Collaborated with various partners, stakeholders, organizations or institutions to conduct the required community engagement forums • Presented video on childhood obesity to open local dialogue • Engaged policy makers and community leaders on legislation and obesity • Platform: Place At the Table

22. Demographic Information

23. Demographic Information

24. Unique Program Highlights • 6 Total stakeholder meetings • 50 Volunteers • 245 people attended • 126 Children • 119 Parents

25. Family Participation

26. Audience ParticipationState Representative Eddie Armstrong and Young Participant

27. Audience Participation

28. Stakeholders Participation State Representative Frederick Love (center) State Representative Eddie Armstrong and his wife

29. Outcomes • Screened 56/245 (22.8%) participants with height, weight and BP measurements. • The BP ranged from 86/50 to 180/106. • The BMI range 16.7% to 49%. • The highest BMI in a child was 31.5%. • Of the 56 screened, • 70% children (26% BMI > 30). • 30% adult ( 59% BMI >30

30. Collaborative Sponsors and Partners • 13 Total Sponsors & Partners • Arkansas Coalition For Obesity • Cancer Control • The Links Incorporated • Arkansas General Assembly • American Heart Association • Healthy Boys and Girls • Arkansas Gardening Clubs • Derek Lewis Foundation • Willie Hinton Resource Center • Timmons Arts Foundation • Little Rock School District • Central Arkansas Library System • Arkansas Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association • TOTAL LEVERAGED: $17,099

31. The Links, IncorporatedCan You Imagine Me? The New Orleans Chapter of the Links, Incorporated Christine A. Guillory, Program Chair 2012-2014

32. Program Overview • An interactive program to specifically address the increasing obesity rates for local youth by increasing awareness for these students and their families. • Meaningful parental and/or caregiver involvement in programmatic activities as an essential component • Leaders from local community based organizations, health and human service agencies and schools as forum leaders and guides for our service

33. Total Guest Participation – 73 people of mixed African American decent Students: Boys – 25 Girls – 32 Adults: Men – 3 Women – 13 • The New Orleans (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated’s proposed Childhood Obesity Awareness & Engagement Day was designed to target high school students and their families in economically depressed communities in the Greater New Orleans area using, for example, Urban League College T.R.A.C.K as a partner for the program • Ultimately, the audience spanned children of all ages by partnering with Breakthrough New Orleans, a program dedicated to educational equity and excellence for all children.

34. - Five Facet participation • - Community Event outline complete with times for arrival and to-do items for members assigned to various activities • - Target audience for each activity (parents, students, community stakeholders) • Opening Panel Discussion with community stakeholders • Break Out Session 1: Work It Out! Demonstration of exercise techniques and physical activity tips and how-to line dancing Unique Program Highlights program to set an example – making dance and movement a part of the whole family’s lifestyle – for parents. -Break Out Session 2: “Eating Smart: Cooking Demonstration”- prepare quick, healthy meals and snacks. Goodie bags included: Recipes, fruit, healthy nutrition bar, water and two issue briefs.

35. Outcomes • The expected outcomes were achieved! This program successfully established a link to a community of students and families that we can continue to track. The New Orleans (LA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated has committed to working with Breakthrough New Orleans next year and to growing the Obesity Awareness Day to include separate workshops for students and parents. • This program is a long-term investment. We believe that over time, we will be able to track the impact of this program on the eating habits and lifestyles of these students and their families.

36. Collaborative Sponsors and Partners • Breakthrough New Orleans: aims to foster the love of learning and strengthen core academic skills, helping at-risk students reach their full potential and placing them on the path towards college. • Panelists: Dr. Corey Hebert, pediatrics and emergency medicine; Dr. Louis Beverotte, pediatrics, Daughters of Charity Health Center; Stephanie Marshall, Director of Nutrition Services, Daughter of Charity Services of New Orleans; and La Verne Price, program coordinator at Healthy Lifestyle Choices (HLC). • Facilitators: Professional trainer, former Harlem Globetrotter and owner of Bodytime NOLA, Elijah Hobley, and Bodytime’s instructor, John Midkiff; Owner of Step 'N Slide Line Dancing, David Darangue; and Chef Traci Vincent Andely.