Bronx Conversations for Change Training

Interested in improving the health and wellness of your community? Bronx Health REACH is partnering with Everyday Democracy to help community residents and local organizations organize action-oriented conversations around healthy eating, active living, tobacco and alcohol in neighborhoods throughout the Bronx. We are looking to train people, especially community members, to help lead a series of these conversations.

A free facilitator training will be held Thursday, February 21st from 12:30PM - 5:30PM at Cornell University Cooperative Extension (432 East 149th Street, 4th Floor, Bronx NY 10455).  All are welcome to attend.  Lunch will be provided. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Emma Rodgers at erodgers@institute2000.org or call 212-633-0800 x 1249.  This training is being co-sponsored by Bronx Health REACH, Everyday Democracy, the Partnership for a Healthier NYC, Cornell University Cooperative Extension and the American Lung Association of the Northeast.

Montefiore Medical Center Extends Hours at Community Urgent Care Sites as Severe Flu Season Gains Momentum

Bronx Borough President Diaz Joins Montefiore In Urging Public to Get Vaccinated

Montefiore Medical Center infectious disease experts are urging the public to get vaccinated against influenza in one of the most severe and longest flu seasons in a decade. To manage the surge of patients, Montefiore is extending hours at several of its community urgent care sites.
Bronx East Urgent Care Center (2300 Westchester Ave.)

• Monday-Friday – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Grand Concourse Urgent Care Center (2532 Grand Concourse)

• Monday-Friday – 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the majority of people, flu symptoms (e.g., high fever, sore throat, cough, fatigue, headaches and muscle aches) are relatively mild, and those patients should stay home and call their primary care physician. Only those with severe symptoms or those living with a chronic medical condition (e.g., asthma, heart disease, diabetes, neurological and kidney disorders, as well as other conditions that weaken the immune system) who are suffering from the flu should visit the emergency department.
“Our clinics and emergency departments are overwhelmingly busy with a significant increase in both adult and pediatric flu cases,” said Dr. Brian Currie, vice president and medical director for research at Montefiore. “We have seen an increase in the influx of flu patients over recent weeks with as many as 40 percent of people seeking care in our emergency departments testing positive for influenza.”
Those at greatest risk of complications from flu are children under the age of two, pregnant women and adults over the age of 65. People are urged to stay home and not go to school or work to if they are sick in order to prevent transmission of the flu.
It is not too late to get vaccinated. Antibodies that protect against the flu develop in about two weeks after vaccination, and the flu season is expected to continue through the spring. Those interested in getting a flu shot can visit clinics run by the Department of Health, area hospitals, including Montefiore, and commercial pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Duane Reade.
“Through Montefiore’s vast network of sites and extension of its operating hours, most Bronxites can easily access a flu shot,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I ask that all, not just those who are most vulnerable, but ALL Bronxites get the flu shot, and I thank Montefiore for the leadership they have taken to address the flu outbreak.”

Bronx Health REACH e-blast January 9th, 2013

Bronx Community Board Join Up – January 10th

Bronx Health REACH is co-hosting an event with Transportation Alternatives to make it easy and fun to join your Community Board.  Transportation Alternatives has held similar events in other boroughs, but this is the first time there will be a Community Board Join Up in the Bronx!  We'll have snacks and drinks for you to enjoy while you learn about the Community Board process from the Bronx Borough President's office and Transportation Alternatives.  Anyone interested in learning about Community Boards in the Bronx is welcome to attend this free event, which will be held Thursday, January, 10, 6:30pm - 8pm, at Cornell University Cooperative Extension, 432 East 149th Street, 4th Floor, Bronx, NY.  To RSVP call 212 633-0800 x1249 or go to www.transalt.org/cb.   

Bronx Health REACH Segregated Care Workgroup Meeting – January 11th

Bronx Health REACH will hold its monthly Segregated Care Workgroup meeting on Friday, January 11th from 1pm-3pm at Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus at 39 West 190th Street, Bronx NY.  The workgroup will be planning its 2013 community outreach and education on the impact of segregated care in NY. For more information, contact Bernice McFarline at bmcfarline@institute2000.org or 212-633-0800 x 1344.

Bronx Health REACH Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup Meeting – January 17th

Bronx Health REACH will hold its next Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup meeting on Thursday, January 17th from 10am-12pm at the Morrisania WIC D&TC at 1225 Gerard Ave, Bronx NY 10452 (room 214).  The meeting will focus on school wellness; we will discuss creating a professional development series for schools on staff wellness. We will also hear about the A+NYC Mayoral school reform campaign. For more information, contact Kelly Moltzen at kmoltzen@institute2000.org or 212-633-0800 x 1328 or Emma Rodgers at erodgers@institute2000.org or 212-633-0800 x 1249. 

Save Phys Ed meeting – January 17th

Are you ready to launch a campaign that will bring real Phys Ed to every school?   Meet other like-minded groups and join Phys Ed Plus for an informational meeting and open forum to discuss how we can come together to fight the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and bring more Phys Ed to more kids.  The event will be held January 17th, 7-8:30pm, at Central Park East II – Cafeteria, 19 East 103rd Street at Madison.  RSVP required at:  events@physedplus.org  Refreshments will be provided (coffee/water/fruit).  Bring the kids!  There will be a Fun & Fitness class for all kids K-5th grade for the duration of the meeting. $5/child benefiting Save Phys Ed.

School Garden Network meeting - January 22nd

GrowNYC and the Grow to Learn Citywide School Gardens Initiative will be hosting a School Garden Networking Meeting in the Bronx on January 22nd at 4:30pm. The topic will be “Identifying Curriculum Links” and there will be time for further discussion of what function the group can serve to better meet the needs of schools that want to start a school garden, or sustain or expand an already existing garden.  For more information, contact Matt Mili at MMili@grownyc.org or 212.341.3685. 

NYC Department of Transportation Public Workshop – January 23rd

For several years, the Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval have advocated for much needed pedestrian safety improvements next to Williamsbridge Oval Park. Norwood residents of all ages and abilities expect and deserve a safe walk to this neighborhood recreation hub. On January 23rd, the NYC Department of Transportation will hold a workshop to get your input on how to improve pedestrian crossings along the Reservoir Oval, especially at the intersection with Holt Place.  The event will be held on January 23rd at 7pm at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Avenue in the Bronx. Your voice of support will help demonstrate to the DOT that pedestrian safety improvements must be installed at Williamsbridge Oval Park without delay. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Jennifer Godzeno at jennifer@transalt.org.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension Nutrition Workshop – Starts January 25th

Highbridge Community Life Center will be hosting a Nutrition Workshop series provided by Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC. There will be 6 workshops, each running 1 ½ hours long, starting January 25th.  The workshops will be conducted in English at 10:00am and in Spanish at 12:30pm at Highbridge Community Life Center, 1438 Ogden Ave, Bronx, NY 10452. Participants will prepare nutritious and delicious recipes, and taste new foods.  All are welcome. All interested candidates must call (646) 393-9533 x 117 and leave a message to register.  Please see attached flyer for more information. 

Cornell University Cooperative Extension Faith-Based Food Hubs

Cornell University Cooperative Extension (CUCE) New York City is offering Food Hub Training to Faith‐Based leaders during the months of January and February. If you or anyone from your organization/institution would like to attend, please RSVP to Dr. Khin Mar Cho at 212-‐340-2918 or kc458@cornell.edu by Friday January 18, 2013. The training is FREE and will take about 90 minutes. Participants will receive a tool kit of Faith-Based Food Hub materials. In the Bronx, trainings will be on Wednesdays (9:30 AM-11:00 AM) at the CUCE- Bronx office, 432 E. 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10455 on the following dates (choose ONE): January 23, January 30, February 6th, 2013.  Please see attached schedule for information about additional training locations, dates, and opportunities.

GrowNYC’s Fresh Food Box Program

GrowNYC’s Fresh Food Box Program is a food access initiative that allows underserved communities to purchase fresh, healthy, locally-grown produce.  Customers can take advantage of the cost benefits of buying in a group and enjoy the quality and variety of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share with the flexibility to buy weekly instead of seasonally.  GrowNYC distributes Fresh Food Boxes in collaboration with community partner organizations at 3 sites in NYC presently.  Customers pre-order bags one week in advance on the designated distribution day, and the next week pick up their Fresh Food Box containing 8-10 seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as information on how to store and prepare the produce they’ve received.  Customers can pay in cash, credit/debit, and EBT/SNAP benefits.  GrowNYC is interested in expanding the program to the Bronx; organizations interested in partnering to bring more fresh food into nearby communities can contact Elizabeth Gregg at egregg@grownyc.org or (212) 788-3581. For more information, please visit http://www.grownyc.org/foodbox.

Citizens Committee Grant Deadline – Deadline: January 31st

Have a Great Idea for a Community Improvement Project?  Through its Community Grants, Citizens Committee for New York City awards grants of $500 to $3,000 to resident-led groups to work on community and school improvement projects addressing issues that they identify as important to them.  From East Tremont in the Bronx to West Brighton on Staten Island, the groups they support are carrying out projects as varied as community gardening, theater and fine arts, nutrition awareness, composting, beautification, tenant organizing, youth education, physical fitness, public safety, and more!  There will be several information sessions (January 9th (webinar) from 6-8pm, and January 16th at the Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road, Room C22).  The application deadline is January 31, 2013. Download the application here.  For more information, contact Will at wflorentino@citizensnyc.org or 212-822-9568. 

CDC's National Healthy Worksite Program Training Webinar - January 14th

The CDC National Healthy Worksite Program (NHWP) provides employers and interested organizations with nationwide access to worksite health training and resources.  These webinars focus on practical, skill-building training for employers to implement comprehensive worksite health programs.  The NHWP seeks to promote good health through prevention, reduce chronic illness and disability, and improve productivity outcomes that contribute to employers' competitiveness.  The next webinar will be Monday, January 14, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST.  Space is limited; reserve your webinar seat at:  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/652441654 

Communities Creating Healthy, Active Environments Webinar – January 17th

Communities across the nation are implementing projects that improve people’s ability be more physically active in their neighborhoods. This webinar will share lessons learned from different communities that increased opportunities for both children and adults to walk, bike, exercise and play through policy and environmental changes. The webinar will also provide evidence on how having access to parks, open space, trails, and other venues for physical activity is related to better health. Representatives from two different communities will share their stories, including successes in underserved neighborhoods to improve safety, aesthetics, and access to places to be active.  Sponsored by the Active Living Research and the Public Health Institute. The webinar will be held Thursday, January 17th from 2pm-3:30pm.  Register here.

Cancer Prevention Study

Cancer Prevention Study-3 is a historic nationwide study to better understand how lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors cause or prevent cancer. This March, Bronx residents passionate about helping to discover better ways to prevent, treat, and hopefully cure cancer have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a research study that has the potential to protect future generations from getting cancer.   The American Cancer Society of the Bronx is recruiting 500 men and women who are willing to commit to the study, must be between the ages of 30 and 65 and never have been diagnosed with cancer. At enrollment, individuals provide a waist measurement, give a small blood sample and complete a baseline and enrollment survey. Over the course of the study, participants will be asked to fill out follow-up surveys every few years for the next 20-30 years. While the American Cancer Society has been conducting these types of studies for decades, our world-class research department can only study new and emerging cancer risks if members of the community are willing to become involved! For information on how to register for CPS-3 or how to become a Community Champion please visit www.cps3bronx.org 

Sheridan Academy Receives Grant for School Wellness Activities

Congratulations to Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders, which applied for and received a $1000 Game On! grant from Action for Healthy Kids.  The grant will support the creation of a co-ed basketball team for the school, and participation in the Girls on the Run program in Spring 2013. Sheridan Academy is a two-time Gold award recipient of NYC’s Excellence in School Wellness Award and a mentor school with the DOE Office of School Wellness.

Institute for Family Health Opens Family Health Center of Harlem

The Institute for Family Health recently opened the Family Health Center of Harlem, a newly-renovated 37,000 square foot health care facility located at 1824 Madison Avenue at 119th Street.  The new center will provide approximately 80,000 visits annually to patients of all ages, regardless of ability to pay.  The Institute opened its Harlem practice in July 2010 in an effort to preserve the community’s access to critical primary health services following the abrupt closing of North General Hospital. This is in addition to the new Stevenson Family Health Center which opened in the Bronx in August 2012, where the Institute now provides health services for Bronx residents at the site of the former Soundview Health Center.  For more information about the Institute for Family Health, visit www.institute2000.org Please remember to send information about your upcoming programs, initiatives, or events that you would like to include in future e-blasts. Thank you,the Bronx Health REACH staff(212) 633-0800 x 1232www.bronxhealthreach.org Blog http://bronxhealthreach.blogspot.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BronxHealthREACH Twitter: http://twitter.com/BxHealthREACH  Bronx Health REACH is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is a program of the Institute for Family Health.

CPR and First Aid Training Course

Now Open to the Public!! CPR and First Aid Training Course

                            Learn how to save a life before it is too late………………….

Who: Anyone who is interested in learning and those who are required by law to be certified in the area of CPR and First Aid.

What: Courses offered include: Heart Saver First Aid and CPR/AED for Adult and Children population. (BLS) Basic Life Support CPR is also available for the healthcare professionals. All 2 year certifications will come from the American Heart Association within two weeks of successfully completing the course requirement.

Students learn skills such as how to treat bleeding, sprains, broken bones, shock and other first aid emergencies.  This course also teaches adult CPR and AED use.

Where: 1438 Ogden Ave. Bronx, NY 10452.  Onsite training is available upon request

Directions: Take # 4 or D train to East 161^st Street/Yankee Stadium Station. Take the Bx-13 bus to 1438 Ogden Avenue

When: Weekends from 9am-3pm

Scheduled Dates For Up Coming Classes:

January:   ……….. January 19^th 2013 (Saturday) ● January 27^th 2013 (Sunday)

February: .………. February 16^th 2013 (Saturday) ● February 24^th 2013 (Sunday)

March: ………. March 23^th 2013 (Saturday) ● March 31^st 2013 (Sunday)

*A minimum of 10 students per session are required.  If less than 10 students are in attendance the class will be postponed until the next session.

Cost: 10 to 20 students = $55 (all equipment and materials are included) *Group rates for 20+ Students are available

Instructor: Mr. Kevin Price has over 35 years of training experiences as an American Heart Association and  an American Red Cross Certified Instructor

Enrollment Contact Person:

·         Mr. Kevin Price : Ph.: (646) 393-9533 ext. 101●Cell Ph.: (718)753-2351●E-mail: Kprice7203@aol.com

·         Mr. Mark Meyer : Ph.: (646) 393-9533 ext. 108●E-mail: Meyerm@highbridgelife.org

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Snapshot

Obesity in Young Is Seen as Falling in Several Cities

By SABRINA TAVERNISE for the NY Times

PHILADELPHIA — After decades of rising childhood obesity rates, several American cities are reporting their first declines.

The trend has emerged in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller places like Anchorage, Alaska, and Kearney, Neb. The state of Mississippi has also registered a drop, but only among white students.

“It’s been nothing but bad news for 30 years, so the fact that we have any good news is a big story,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner in New York City, which reported a 5.5 percent decline in the number of obese schoolchildren from 2007 to 2011.

The drops are small, just 5 percent here in Philadelphia and 3 percent in Los Angeles. But experts say they are significant because they offer the first indication that the obesity epidemic, one of the nation’s most intractable health problems, may actually be reversing course.

The first dips — noted in a September report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — were so surprising that some researchers did not believe them.

Deanna M. Hoelscher, a researcher at the University of Texas, who in 2010 recorded one of the earliest declines — among mostly poor Hispanic fourth graders in the El Paso area — did a double-take. “We reran the numbers a couple of times,” she said. “I kept saying, ‘Will you please check that again for me?’ ”

Researchers say they are not sure what is behind the declines. They may be an early sign of a national shift that is visible only in cities that routinely measure the height and weight of schoolchildren. The decline in Los Angeles, for instance, was for fifth, seventh and ninth graders — the grades that are measured each year — between 2005 and 2010. Nor is it clear whether the drops have more to do with fewer obese children entering school or currently enrolled children losing weight. But researchers note that declines occurred in cities that have had obesity reduction policies in place for a number of years.

Though obesity is now part of the national conversation, with aggressive advertising campaigns in major cities and a push by Michelle Obama, many scientists doubt that anti-obesity programs actually work. Individual efforts like one-time exercise programs have rarely produced results. Researchers say that it will take a broad set of policies applied systematically to effectively reverse the trend, a conclusion underscored by an Institute of Medicine report released in May.

Philadelphia has undertaken a broad assault on childhood obesity for years. Sugary drinks like sweetened iced tea, fruit punch and sports drinks started to disappear from school vending machines in 2004. A year later, new snack guidelines set calorie and fat limits, which reduced the size of snack foods like potato chips to single servings. By 2009, deep fryers were gone from cafeterias and whole milk had been replaced by one percent and skim.

Change has been slow. Schools made money on sugary drinks, and some set up rogue drink machines that had to be hunted down. Deep fat fryers, favored by school administrators who did not want to lose popular items like French fries, were unplugged only after Wayne T. Grasela, the head of food services for the school district, stopped buying oil to fill them.

But the message seems to be getting through, even if acting on it is daunting. Josh Monserrat, an eighth grader at John Welsh Elementary, uses words like “carbs,” and “portion size.” He is part of a student group that promotes healthy eating. He has even dressed as an orange to try to get other children to eat better. Still, he struggles with his own weight. He is 5-foot-3 but weighed nearly 200 pounds at his last doctor’s visit.

“I was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m obese for my age,’ ” said Josh, who is 13. “I set a goal for myself to lose 50 pounds.”

Nationally, about 17 percent of children under 20 are obese, or about 12.5 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which defines childhood obesity as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. That rate, which has tripled since 1980, has leveled off in recent years but has remained at historical highs, and public health experts warn that it could bring long-term health risks.

Obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, creating a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Cancer Society says that being overweight or obese is the culprit in one of seven cancer deaths. Diabetes in children is up by a fifth since 2000, according to federal data.

“I’m deeply worried about it,” said Francis S. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, who added that obesity is “almost certain to result in a serious downturn in longevity based on the risks people are taking on.”

Obesity affects poor children disproportionately. Twenty percent of low-income children are obese, compared with about 12 percent of children from more affluent families, according to the C.D.C. Among girls, race is also an important factor. About 25 percent of black girls are obese, compared with 15 percent of white girls.

Some experts note that the current declines, concentrated among higher income, mostly white populations, are still not benefiting many minority children. For example, when New York City measured children in kindergarten through eighth grade from 2007 to 2011, the number of white children who were obese dropped by 12.5 percent, while the number of obese black children dropped by 1.9 percent.

But Philadelphia, which has the biggest share of residents living in poverty of the nation’s 10 largest cities, stands out because its decline was most pronounced among minorities. Obesity among 120,000 public school students measured between 2006 and 2010 declined by 8 percent among black boys and by 7 percent among Hispanic girls, compared with a 0.8 percent decline for white girls and a 6.8 percent decline for white boys.

“The needle is actually moving,” said Gary D. Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University.

He first noticed the change while conducting a study of middle school students. Even children who made up the control group that did not take part in anti-obesity measures had a weight drop of nearly 4 percent, compared with 5.5 percent for those who did.

Here at William H. Ziegler Elementary in Northeast Philadelphia, where most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the day begins with a nutrition tip over the loudspeaker. Teachers give out colorful erasers and stickers instead of Tootsie Rolls. Fund-raising events feature fruit smoothies instead of chocolate.

Some students had never seen broccoli or cauliflower, so Jill Dogmanits, a sixth-grade teacher, started taste tests to acquaint students with those vegetables and healthy snacks like hummus, fresh pineapple and whole-wheat bagels.

But school is only part of the day. Children buy an average of 350 calories worth of snacks in corner stores every day, according to a study by Dr. Foster’s center at Temple University. About 640 corner stores are now part of a program of stocking healthier food, according to the Food Trust, a nonprofit group that runs it.

“Parents tell their kids, ‘Take this money and go buy a snack,’ ” said Josh, as children streamed into a store across from his school where crayon-colored sugar drinks called Hugs sell for 25 cents and generic soda is 40 cents.

Dr. Donald F. Schwarz, a pediatrician who is the city’s health commissioner, said: “I think we are beginning to turn the tide with the many things that have gone on now for a decade.”

It is too early to tell whether the trend will hold.

“I’d like to see another year of measurement before I go out and party over this,” said Mary Currier, Mississippi’s state health officer.

And some public health experts say that without broader policy actions like a soda tax, which Philadelphia tried but failed to pass in 2010 and 2011, deeper change will be difficult. Still, new data from Philadelphia — from more than 20,000 children in first through sixth grades — show a further 2.5 percent obesity decline from 2011 to 2012, Dr. Foster said.

Josh lost weight this summer, exercising outside with his stepfather, an Army reservist. But now that it’s cold he has gained some back. Still, he believes he can influence others. His 2-year-old cousin now asks for bananas instead of chips at the corner store. Josh takes full credit.

School Wellness Weekly, 12.07.2012

Thousands of runners, including students, joined DOE Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott this past Saturday morning for The New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) Jingle Bell Jog.  The proceeds from the four-mile run in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, help support NYRR’s Youth Programs, serving more than 100,000 students in NYC public schools through programs such as Mighty Milers, Young Runners, and the Developmental Track and Field Series.  In addition to providing physical activity programming during and after school hours, the ongoing partnership with NYRR has helped to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity, while helping students learn valuable lessons about endurance, commitment, and enthusiasm for fitness in and out of school.

Opportunities and Recognition

·         Does Your School Need Support on a Health and Wellness Project? On behalf of the Partnership for Healthier New York City, The Fund for Public Health in New York (FPHNY) seeks proposals (click here) from organizations, including schools, to work with Borough Lead Organizations to advance the work of New York City’s Community Transformation Grant. The 30 mini-grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded in February and tasks associated with grant must be completed by 9/30/2013.  The RFP deadline is 12/17 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Liz Nguyen.
·         Employment Opportunity as a Health Education Mentor: The DOE Office of School Wellness Programs (OSWP) needs a qualified educator to join our team.  This new Teacher Assigned position will support middle and high schools in delivering medically accurate, skills-based health instruction, as well as identify and share best comprehensive health education practices. To be eligible for this position, applicants must be current licensed, appointed, and tenured NYC DOE teachers.  Interested individuals may email here.
·         2012 Updated HIV/AIDS Curriculum Available: Check out the OSWP website to learn more about medical updates to this K-12 curriculum. New parent letters and brochures are also available, or request a hard copy of the curriculum. Also, teachers can register for professional development or request an “At Your School” training for 15 or more teachers—for either a refresher for those who have attended the 101 training prior to September 2012, or an HIV 101.

• Do Your Elementary School Teachers Move-to-Improve? If your school hasn’t signed up for this structured classroom fitness break program, the MTI team just gave you more reasons to be an MTI school. Not only do participating teachers receive a stipend for participating in the MTI workshop, as well as free equipment and materials, but schools that train more than 85% of teachers and schools committing to be MTI host sites can receive additional wellness related goods. Find out more from the fact sheet here, or register here.

·         DOT's Bike to School RFP: All middle and high schools are invited to apply to the Bike to School program, a three year commitment for schools interested in working closely with DOT to designate safe Bike to School routes, implement in-class curriculum and recommend street safety improvements. Click here to apply before the 12/12 deadline.

• Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge grants: Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) announces $1,000 grants to support elementary schools, PTAs and SWCs with their wellness initiatives for 2013.  Applications are due 12/14.

Wellness in the News

• L.A. District's Student Stores Feed Appetite for Alternative Lunches (The LA Times, 11/19)
• Olympic Champion Teaches Kids Lessons For Life (Canarsie Courier, 11/22) 
• Obese kids more susceptible to food advertisements, brain scan study suggests (CBS News, 11/30)

·         Facebook and Twitter May Help Fight Obesity in Kids (ABC News, 12/7)

Additional Resources

·         Download a copy of Teens in NYC, a wallet-sized guide from NYCDOHMH about free or very low cost sexual health services and clinics that are teen friendly, also available from 311.
·         See the NASPE/AAHPERD draft document of proposed national K-12 PE standards available for comment here.
·         Check out the CDC’s strategy toolkit for involving parents in school health.
·         The CDC has announced changes to the 2012 School Health Index to include: sexual health as a new topic, updates to nutrition questions to reflect the Institute of Medicine’s Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools, and revised cross cutting questions to be more integrative.