Programs will be held in the school cafeteria from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Tuesday, May 4, Central Elementary School, 829 Turner Street
Thursday, May 13, Roosevelt Elementary School, 210 West Susquehanna Street
Wednesday, May 19, South Mountain Middle School, 709 West Emmaus Avenue
Thursday, May 27, Mosser Elementary School, 129 South Dauphin Street
Each event will include a healthy dinner for all participants, interactive exercise programs and Wii Fit demonstrations for kids, blood pressure and BMI screenings from Sacred Heart Hospital and the Allentown Health Bureau and music by DJ Miguel Mixx. A Wii Fit game system will be raffled at each event and participants will receive heart-healthy recipes to try at home. The events are open to the public and children must be accompanied by an adult.
The community nights represent the capstone in a program called Niños en Acción (Kids in Motion) to educate children and families in the Allentown School District about the benefits of eating healthy and engaging in regular exercise. Since September 2009, 5,600 children from the Allentown School District have participated in measurable, school-based programs on nutrition and physical activity delivered by the Weller Health Education Center. The community nights are a way to reach parents with vital information on how to make lifestyle changes to improve their families’ health.
The Allentown School District is the fourth largest in Pennsylvania with 71 percent considered economically disadvantaged. Sixty percent of the student population is Hispanic—an ethnicity which experiences higher rates of obesity than non-Hispanic Caucasians. BMI screenings of elementary students in Allentown revealed that more than 40 percent of the students were overweight or obese. Studies show that decreased physical activity and poor nutrition can result in lower achievement in school. Improving physical health and nutrition are critical to helping these children get healthier, achieve academic success and experience a better quality of life.