Program Objectives

 

There is an epidemic of overweight among children and youth in the United States. Yet, healthy eating and maintaining physical activity are keys to wellness and overweight prevention. People are becoming more and more aware of the importance of good nutrition and participation in physical activities, and many programs have been conducted to promote healthy eating and being physically active among youth. However, to date, most of the programs have failed in promoting healthy choices among adolescents. Therefore, this program will use a new approach, one in which teens are trained to establish an atmosphere of safety, acceptance of others, group trust and cohesion, supportive peer relationships, and the promotion of healthy behavioral choices. Teens have more energy than adults. They think, learn and make life-transforming changes more easily than adults. They will change their own behaviors for healthy choices and help create positive influences for others.

 

This program shall consist of weekly 55 minute sessions over the course of 12 weeks during the established Lifetime Wellness or related course in the school curriculum.

 

Goals

 

Specifically, after completion of the program, students are expected to reach the following goals:

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  1. Increase taste preferences for healthy food and nutrition consciousness.
  2. Establish a healthy life style in eating.
  3. Achieve an understanding of the benefits of being physically active and increase physical activities.
  4. Set and attain goals with friends to make healthy nutrition and physical fitness choices for maintenance and success.
  5. Become active agents for positive changes by modeling sound nutritional and behavioral choices.
  6. Gain acceptance of others and  assume a supportive role in peer’s dietary and physical activity choices.
  7. Gain Benefit from enhanced empowerment toward behavioral change through enhanced self-esteem.

 

Students will also contribute to group journals, within which they can express responses to classroom activities. Along with journal lessons (one a week) and in-class activities, there will be Challenges groups must complete, inside and/or outside of class.  Among themselves, students will be challenged to create plans, scripts, and/or assign roles, as well as complete these challenges. The challenges engage advertisement, education, and positive health, nutrition, and physical fitness awareness within their lives and communities. 

 

Weekly incentives/prizes will encourage participation in activities. In addition, every student who participates in all Team-Up for Fitness lessons, completes every journal assignment, teamwork and group challenges will have a chance to win the grand prize through a lottery drawing. Additional chances at prizes will be rewarded by the facilitator based upon attitude and motivation of the group. 

 

Leadership and Cooperation

 

Team leader for each lesson:

In the first lesson, teams will be formed with four to six students, and persons who will serve as team leaders will be decided for the following lessons. Because each team-member is learning to listen, lead, and work well with others, each weekly lesson will be lead by a different team-member drawn at random from the group members until each member has as many as two opportunities to lead.

 

Group cooperation:

Throughout the sessions, team members will work together to accomplish common goals. Individual contributions in activities, as well as summary journal writing, will be integral to the process.

 

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