I walked into the kitchen one day and waded into a sea of suds. I looked up from my suds soaked toes – shocked to see that my dishwasher had exploded. Freeze frame. Just a few days earlier the top of my head would have flown off. But at this moment I was proud of […]
Our parks and playgrounds are our backyards, community fitness centers and nature preserves. Running, jumping and climbing gets the legs moving and the heart pumping. Kids who participate in physically active play at least two or three times a week are twice as likely to be fit than those who stay in the house watching […]
An optimist and advocate, J.J. Tighe offers compelling reasons why we should care passionately about community health. “Improving our health is paramount for us as individuals and as a State,” says Tighe, president and CEO of the Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF). “Personal choice and responsibility when it comes to healthy choices is critical, so education […]
The kids can hardly contain their excitement. It’s PE (physical education) time. They’re waiting for the “big” signal. “Baba” Eric Hoffman the PE teacher calls out the words Army, Air Force, or Navy. The kids have to run to each line correctly. Go to the wrong line and they’re out. It’s a warm-up game designed […]
“Disc golf involves the throwing of Frisbee-like discs into their targets, using the fewest attempts.” “Calhoun and his entire family, including a daughter who competed in the 2015 world competition, all enjoy the game.” “I’m confident that in the next 30 years when you hear someone say ‘golf,’ they’ll be talking about disc golf.” – […]
“Kids like it (hooping) because they can vary the routine and feel like circus performers with a little practice.” – Missy Cooke Pick one up and put it on. Go ahead and “swirl” girl. Hundreds are discovering – and in some cases, rediscovering – the joy of “hooping” at area parks, which represents a fun […]
There are childhood moments that will always be cherished. Growing up in Houston, Texas, Hanifa Adjuman (AKA “Mama Hanifa”) looked forward to every summer. Her maternal grandparents lived in a small, rural town called Navasota. She remembers drinking from a creek, playing with her cousins, growing food, and eating what they grew. “My great-grandmother lived […]
Vivian Murphy and Ajani Carter spent more than a combined 30 years teaching children in Detroit Public Schools classrooms. Their professional careers also included other positions where they served the public. But when it was finally time to retire from the workforce, Murphy and Carter still wanted to make a difference in their city, and […]
Can you change a school’s culture from the inside? More than 50 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) partners believe it is possible and are committed to providing comprehensive school-wide programs designed to teach kids healthy habits and address childhood obesity. There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. The goal is to tailor resources with the individual needs […]
The classrooms at Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology have emptied. Nine girls, different shades and sizes, march in single file down the hall, led by Zeina Carla Washington, AKA “Mama Zeina,” who power walks. Washington, who is the family service worker at the school, throws a comment over her shoulder if another teacher asks […]