Fitter, more energetic youngsters may soon be filling the region's Head Start classrooms after the implementation of a new physical activity program.
The National Head Start Association is partnering with Nike and SPARK, or Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids, to introduce children to the Let Me Play Head Start effort.
"One of our strategic initiatives is to work with the children and their parents as far as preventing or intervening in overweight problems we may have with some of our children," Region 19 Head Start Executive Director Blanca Enriquez said. "I don't know if we have a lot of children you may consider obese, but ... we want to prevent, through education, the problems that come with being overweight."
On Monday, about 50 Head Start administrators and other staff members received training for the Let Me Play effort. They will then train the teachers at the Head Start campuses, who will work directly with the children.
Enriquez said Head Start serves about 4,000 children in the area each year.
"This program is physical activity with games and activities and musical activities that teach the children body awareness and the foundation of motor skills," said Faith Grinder, a trainer for SPARK. "Children need to learn how to move safely."
In addition to teaching structured activities that will develop motor skills, the program also extends to helping the children during unstructured time such as recess. Teachers are also shown how to add physical activity to normal classroom activities.
Much of the equipment and the teachers' instructional books may be funded by Nike.