Approximately 80 students from five Henderson middle schools will come together today, April 27, to celebrate the benefits of leading a heart-healthy lifestyle. The 2004 Hearts N' Parks Teen Scene Celebration is scheduled for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Bob Miller Middle School, located at 2400 Cozy Hills Circle in Henderson.
During the event, several athletes, including professional boxer Julio Luna and members of the UNLV women's volleyball team, will be on hand to congratulate the students on their efforts to lead healthy, more active lifestyles. In addition, organizations such as the American Heart Association, the Dairy Council, UNLV Student Dietetic Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, will provide students with information about nutrition, diet, and physical fitness.
The celebration is part of the Hearts N' Parks program, a collaborative health education program that aims to reduce childhood obesity and the potential consequences of poor diet and inactivity. Conducted by faculty and students in UNLV's department of nutrition sciences and staff from the Henderson Parks and Recreation Department, the program combines fun activities with science-based lessons that reinforce the benefits of good nutrition and physical fitness.
This spring, the Hearts N' Parks program was implemented in the Teen Scene after-school programs at Burkholder, White, Brown, Miller, and Greenspun middle schools in Henderson . Over the course of the semester, students competed against each other in a variety of physical activities and educational projects, the results of which will be announced during the event.
"This is a great opportunity for the students to celebrate all their hard work and to reinforce the idea that leading a healthy lifestyle is not only smart but can also be a lot of fun," said Molly Michelman, an instructor in UNLV's department of nutrition sciences. "We hope their experience in the Hearts N' Parks program will empower them to continue the healthy habits they acquired during the semester."
Last year, Michelman developed an undergraduate course at UNLV that was specifically designed to support the Hearts N' Parks initiative. UNLV students who enroll in the class are required to develop, teach, and modify lesson plans that stress the importance of good nutrition and physical fitness to children in the participating Henderson schools. Over a six-week period, the students visit the schools four times to administer a standard pre-test questionnaire, nutrition and fitness intervention lessons, and a post-test questionnaire. Once completed, the test results are then entered into a national database maintained by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and they will ultimately be used to develop future Hearts N' Parks programs around the country.
Since its inception a year ago, the Hearts N' Parks program has served more than 400 Henderson elementary school children and approximately 100 middle school students.
The Hearts N' Parks program is sponsored by the NIH and the National Recreation and Park Association. Locally, the program was made possible by a grant from the General Mills Foundation and additional financial support from the American Dietetic Association. Nevada was one of only 11 states selected nationwide to participate in the Hearts N' Parks program. In addition to the UNLV and City of Henderson partnership, the municipalities of Las Vegas , North Las Vegas , Reno , and Sparks are also participating in the program.
The April 27 event is being sponsored by UNLV and the City of Henderson , and is made possible in part by generous donations from Albertson's, Arrowhead Water, Barbara Greenspun Women's Care, Chiquita Banana, Clark County Health District, and Subway.
