"Eat, Think, Play" is an interactive after school health education program dedicated to helping high school students build and promote a healthy lifestyle. We work to help students construct skills necessary to make good decisions regarding physical activity and eating a nutritious diet. The program is based on a behavioral change of philosophy, which places the emphasis on behavioral modification and behavior change strategies. We value the health of our youth, and with obesity rates on the rise, it is time to take action. The "Eat, Think, Play" health program is committed to creating a positive learning environment that enhances student learning. The program provides students with a variety of activities that encourages healthy living habits. Participants learn the importance of daily physical activity for good health, and develop strategies for becoming more active. Nutritious foods will be available while the students learn the importance of a well balanced nutritional diet. This program is a health promotion program, not simply a weight loss program. The goal is to reduce obesity rates by initiating a process of change or by supporting existing healthy behaviors.
Developing a health education program is a four part process. You must first assess the needs of the community, then plan a program that fulfills those needs, implement the program, and finally evaluate your program. Through research, I have created the "Eat, Think, Play" program based on my readings from multiple scientific literature resources. I will first explain what others have done when assessing the needs of a community. "Assessments assist the health educator in investigating the web of factors that affect the health of the target population and the ability of health educators to positively influence them (Hodges, 2005)." The book, Assessment and Planning in Health Programs, explains why it is important to conduct the assessment process. The methods described in the book help health educators collect and analyze data, and it also explains how the assessment can develop connections with the target population and stakeholders. The author suggests that you first identify what information you need and then determine a timeline. Then decide where, how, and from whom you will obtain the information. After you have completed the first two steps, the next step will be to determine who is responsible for obtaining the information, and then identify, develop, and test your data collection instruments. This is all done before you actually collect any data, and it requires planning and organization.
[...] To address each of these factors we will organize the Eat, Think, Play program so that we have a positive learning environment that gets students physically active for 60 minutes a day, and teach students the benefits of a nutritious diet, and healthy living habits. Our preliminary goals will be to have students attend the program for 5 days a week, and log in 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Students will also be able to identify healthy eating habits through the help of the food guide pyramid and nutrition specialists. [...]
[...] Anticipated Results The Eat, Think, Play program will help to reduce childhood obesity in our community by helping participants initiate a process of change towards healthy behaviors. This after school program will provide a safe, structured environment for students to learn and grow. The kids will build skills that help them to make good decisions about being physically active and eating a healthy diet. We will encourage these children to make these healthy choices last for a lifetime so that we can increase the quality of healthy years of life. [...]
[...] Club Possible is a health education program that was launched out in the Midwest. Eight community organizations realized the potential impact of inactivity and poor nutrition in their community, and applied separately for external funding. The funding agency asked the eight organizations to combine their efforts into a community wide intervention. They were able to create a health program that promoted physical activity and healthy eating. Club Possible had goals to increase physical activity to 60 minutes a day, provide applicable nutritional experiences for a minimum of 60 minutes per week, and create family support through family involvement activities. [...]
[...] When creating a program you should follow the responsibilities and competencies of health educators because these are your “road of the steps a health educator should use in program development (Responsibilities, 2008). Evaluation will focus on the quality and effectiveness of services provided; usually this will be measured behaviorally or in health terms. The most important decision to make is determining why, how, and what types of evaluation will be conducted. The evaluation process determines the degree of achievement of program objectives, and documents the programs strengths and weaknesses. [...]
[...] A school health program can help to decrease these numbers by providing healthy school environments, better health education, and provide students with skills that will help them adapt to a healthy lifestyle. It is our goal to establish healthy lifestyle practices so that children can grow and utilize these skills for the rest of their life. I will discuss in more detail the astonishing statistics that I have collected in a later portion of this document. Program planning begins with the assessment of existing health needs, problems, and concerns. [...]
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