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Summer camp fosters healthy behaviors in children This summer, more than 180 children ages 7 to 16 learned how to make better choices as part of a program at Parkland called Choosing Healthy Activities, Meals and Positive Self-Esteem (CHAMPS). The program is a partnership between Parkland and the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and offers boys and girls the opportunity to attend summer camp where they learn about positive self-esteem, nutrition, exercise and healthy alternatives. "Many children in DISD are at risk for engaging in unhealthy behaviors due to the neighborhoods and their socioeconomic background," said Jeff Howard, community development specialist in charge of the CHAMPS program. "They may live in an area without decent grocery stores, no access to community gardens and many fast food restaurants. We teach them healthy behaviors and help them make better choices." CHAMPS started as a shared medical appointment in Parkland's community health centers with the help of physicians, educators, social workers and dieticians. Funds from the Children's Health Fund helped launch the program as a week-long camp in 2010. During the four-day camp, each day is dedicated to teaching a different element of a healthy lifestyle. The campers rotate through four different classes that focus on health, nutrition, self-esteem and physical exercise. In addition, each camper is screened for height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. Each day's activities are structured to give the program a camp feel and last four hours, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. "I am a believer in education in that if people are given the right information and we develop a relationship with them, parents and kids want to do the right thing," said Marcene Royster, Parkland's director of Community Services. "Equipping people with good information and showing them that you will support them has had a tremendous impact." The program is offered at no cost and parents are encouraged to attend with their children. With parental involvement, the likelihood of children incorporating the changes into their lifestyle increases. Classes are offered in both English and Spanish. This year, camps were held at Polk Vanguard Elementary School as well as the Salvation Army Community Center in southeast Dallas. Because children are screened and evaluated by physicians and nurses during the camp, this offers a chance for medical providers to pinpoint any previously undetected conditions. In addition, young patients from Parkland's school-based Youth & Family health centers are referred to Camp CHAMPS if they are diagnosed with diabetes, asthma or high Body Mass Index (BMI). Two of the main goals for Camp CHAMPS are matching children without a medical home with a Youth & Family health center and increasing parental involvement. One of the long-term goals is to follow children through their school nurses with repeated measurements and to track this data to document how increased education makes a difference. "For a lot of these kids, this may be the only chance they get to go to summer camp," Howard said. "With childhood obesity such an epidemic in low-income neighborhoods, this is a great opportunity for kids and we look at it as a win-win situation." |
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