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About 20 Miami students in the School for Education and Allied Professions will work with children in the Cincinnati Public Schools, testing their fitness levels as part of a program launched Sept. 19 by the American Heart Association of Cincinnati.
The Partners for School Health program collaborates with school staff to increase the physical activity and health education of children through program development and assessment. The program is funded through mini-grants starting with $5,000 the first year.
"We want to re-energize physical education for both children and their teachers," said Randal Claytor (kinesiology and health), who is leading the assessment project for the program.
As a part of the program, Miami undergraduate students will conduct Fitnessgram assessments during the school year. The assessments measure body composition, aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance. Partners for School Health encourages children to learn about their bodies and to enjoy movement, Claytor explains. Through professional development workshops, Partners for School Health works with teachers to structure their classrooms with more focus on movement activities and less emphasis on instruction.
"Most teachers already do this," Claytor said. "What's different with Partners for School Health is the systematic way of assessing children's fitness levels to see if we are making a difference. Gym class is not just goof off time. It's serious business. We need to get kids moving."
Reports say about 16 percent of all children and teens in the United States are obese and about 25-30 percent of the nation's children are overweight. These figures have almost tripled over the past 25-30 years.
"There is a large correlation between lack of movement and childhood obesity and potential risk for developing type 2 diabetes," Claytor said. "The old myth that chubby children grow out of it is just that, a myth. Data shows that the weight follows them into adulthood."
Claytor and his students will work with about 2,500 children mainly in fourth, fifth and sixth grades. The three-year program plans to expand into all Cincinnati Public Schools by the third year. A similar program is in its third year at Cleveland Public Schools.
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