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"So I think it's important -- working with families, having experiences with Project HEALTH, doing community service, because it has broken down stereotypes, it has expanded my vision of what I think is possible, to think big and to stick to my ideals, like fighting poverty and inequality."
- Muriel Jean-Jacques, Campus Coordinator, Harvard |
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GIRLS FITNUT
According to RI Kids Count, 20% of RI children ages 6-19 were overweight in 2001. In addition, Black adolescent girls are twice as likely a their White counterparts to be overweight.
The Girls Fitness & Nutrition Program addresses the rising incidence of pediatric obesity in Providence by offering its participants a supportive environment in which they develop health knowledge, self-confidence, and healthy lifestyle habits that endure beyond their participation in the program. Weekly program sessions include:
- Nutrition Education - Participants and volunteers explore balanced, appealing, and culturally-appropriate food options through a curriculum of games, field trips, discussions, and hands-on food preparation activities.
- Physical Activity - Recognizing that traditional sports are often intimidating to overweight girls, each program session incorporates an alternative exercise activity. These have included, among others, swimming, African and hip-hop dance, and yoga.
- Mentoring - With volunteers’ support, participants record their personal goals and track their accomplishments in healthy eating and exercise. Individual relationships between each girl and her volunteer mentor promote girls’ self-confidence and help them translate program curriculum into healthy habits.
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