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Lack of physical activity is a significant contributor to the childhood obesity epidemic. A survey conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that 43% of NYC elementary schoolchildren in grades K-5 are obese or overweight and 1 in 5 children is obese by kindergarten. 42% of children in Head Start are either overweight or obese. In both the preschool and elementary populations, Hispanic and African-American children are most affected by obesity.
Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) is a program designed to improve skills, tools, and activities for teaching staff to engage kids in physical activity. SPARK, a nationally recognized and evidence-based physical education curriculum and training program, has been demonstrated to lead to system-wide adoption of a philosophy that physical education helps all students develop skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity. Today, 76% of the city's public school pre-kindergarten educators and 43% of its day care providers have been trained in the SPARK curriculum, with training activities targeting the neighborhoods with the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. Grant funding through the Fund for Public Health in New York (FPHNY) is supporting the growth of this program by coordinating ongoing implementation support for SPARK trained staff and facilitating program improvements.
To learn more about SPARK, click here: http://www.sparkpe.org |
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| SPARK in the News |
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Using more than brains in class
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