11/03/03

(Easton, PA) The Weller Center announced today it has added a comprehensive library of health information for the public on its web site www.wellercenter.org. The site now features thousands of medically reviewed articles, animations, features and age-appropriate news written for three distinct audiences: parents, kids and teens.

“The Weller Center is pleased to make its web site an even richer resource for area schools and families. As a leading provider of health education for children, we understand how important it is to reach out to kids, teens and their parents. That’s why we’re offering information that’s written just for them,” said Melissa Lee, Weller Center CEO. “Teachers will also find the information to be a great resource for lesson plans and homework help,” she added.

The web site features information across a broad spectrum of topics including parenting, general health, medical problems, developmental, behavioral and emotional issues, nutrition and fitness and first aid and safety. In addition to the library of age-appropriate articles, some of the features now available at www.wellercenter.org include:

· Medical Research News for Parents: Summaries of current research from pediatric journals not available to consumers and that are “translated” so they’re easy-to-understand by readers without medical training;

· My Body: An interactive tour of the body for kids;

· Pregnancy and Newborns: A section featuring over 100 articles and a week-by-week pregnancy calendar for expecting and new parents;

· In the Spotlight: Information on in-the-news and seasonal issues like school violence and flu outbreaks; and,

· Word!: A glossary of medical terms with definitions kids can understand.

The Weller Center has also added an online question and answer forum that allows students, teachers and parents to anonymously ask questions of the Center’s health education professionals. Every student who participates in a Weller Center program will receive a passcode to access the online forum. Students, teachers and even parents can log in to the site for up to two weeks after their program to continue to ask questions about the program topic.

The introduction of new web-based services comes at a time when Internet usage has reached record highs with kids.

“With more than 65 percent of kids regularly using the Internet, we quickly realized we needed to become more technology-based,” Lee said.

“Communicating online helps position the Weller Center as a key resource for reliable information on health and prevention using a modality the kids are comfortable with,” she added.

More than 75,000 students will receive access to the Weller Center online forum this year.

“This forum gives kids a chance to ask us questions they may have been afraid to ask in front of their peers,” said Kerri Green, Weller Center health educator.

The Center is also encouraging teachers to log in with their class after the program and parents to get online with their kids at home. “Our goal is always to find ways to extend and enhance our interaction with the kids and at the same time reach out to parents and teachers—the online forum lets us do just that,” Green said.

Fielding questions online from the kids also allows the Weller Center to learn more about the current issues kids are facing and develop programs to help them deal with these issues.

“Ninety-nine percent of our new programs come from what kids tell us they are seeing, participating in or experiencing in their lives right now,” said Lee. “We are fortunate to have talented health educators who can put programs together very quickly that address these issues,” she added.

For questions of a specific medical nature, the Center has enlisted the help of local physicians to ensure that kids receive accurate, timely information.

Additionally, a virtual tour is now available on the Center’s web site that helps students and teachers prepare for their upcoming health education programs.

The library of health information is available to the Weller Center through a partnership with the Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media. A grant from the Verizon Foundation funded the online question and answer forum and virtual tour.

One of only 33 nonprofit health education centers in the nation, the Weller Center offers more than 30 programs for students grades K – 12 in human anatomy and biology, character education, global health, drug abuse prevention, general health, growth and development and nutrition. The Center’s mission is to partner with schools to provide students with the information they need to make informed and healthy decisions. The Center has been offering high-impact, curricula-based preventive health education for 21 years and serves more than 75,000 students each year from 39 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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