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 […]
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 […]
Raising a child in the second decade of the 21st century is difficult. The tools and resources they need to succeed are oftentimes overwhelming. There are answers and they start with learning good nutrition and having access to healthy food choices. That is a family issue and community challenge. Something needs to change in our […]
Becky Burton (Aka Mama Bey), a 3rd grade teacher with Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology, witnesses some pretty unhealthy student behavior daily. What bothers her most is seeing kids dropped off in the early morning with a “breakfast” of hot chips and a liter pop. It happens frequently. Children walk in with Red 40 […]