Deadlines:

Letter of Intent: June 6, 2011

Application: July 15, 2011

Summary:

• Support evidence and practice-based community and clinical prevention and wellness strategies that will lead to specific, measurable health outcomes to reduce chronic disease rates.
• To create healthier communities by

1. Building capacity to implement broad evidence and practice-based policy, environmental, programmatic and infrastructure changes in large counties, and in states, tribes and territories, including in rural and frontier areas
2. Supporting implementation of such interventions in five strategic areas (“Strategic Directions”) aligning with “Healthy People 2020” focus areas and achieving demonstrated progress in the following five performance measures outlined in the Affordable Care Act: 1) changes in weight 2) changes in proper nutrition 3) changes in physical activity 4) changes in tobacco use prevalence 5) changes in emotional well being and overall mental health

Eligibility:

• Local governmental agencies, state governmental agencies, Health Departments, ministries of health, and other governmental agencies

• Federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages; Tribal organizations; Urban Indian Health Programs; Tribal and intertribal consortia
• State nonprofit organizations
• Local nonprofit organizations

Links:

CDC Community Transformation Grants Homepage

Grants.gov Notice and Application

Before You Apply:

SPARK can help you meet the requirements outlined in the CTGs application!

SPARK offers evidence-based Physical Education, Physical Activity and Coordinated School Health programs targeting pre-K through 12th grade students in and out of school, and our programs have been proven to WORK and LAST.

Click Here to download a detailed document that will explain how you can use SPARK to align with the goals of the CTG. This document includes information that shows:

1. Alignment to the Strategic Directions and Strategies within the CTGs application
2. Alignment to CDC’s long-term measures for addressing physical activity and nutrition
3. Why you should partner with SPARK for your CTGS submission
4. How SPARK deliverables align with CDC prevention outcomes
5. Which SPARK Evaluation & Assessment options might be used to support your submission

Next Steps:

Contact Kymm Ballard, Ed.D at SPARK. She’ll ask you a few questions, learn about your current programs, and listen to your vision for creating a healthier community. Together, we’ll create a program that will WORK and LAST.

Kymm Ballard, Ed.D

Partnership Development Specialist

kballard@sparkpe.org

Healthy eating messages sprinkled throughout the school hallways, cafeteria, and classrooms…

Nutrition education woven into PE and core curriculum K-12…

Where is this happening? Check out West Orange, New Jersey school district!

“Teaching our students to maintain a healthy balance with eating and exercise is our top priority. The SPARK program is helping provide the tools and training to achieve this goal”, shared Corinn Giaquinto, Health and Physical Education instructor, Thomas Edison Middle School, West Orange, New Jersey.

Hats off to Thomas A. Edison Middle School and their entire school district in West Orange. The district has been using SPARK in their physical education department for some time and recently received a grant from Mountainside Health Foundation to fuel student success by adding nutrition education.

Vickie L. James, Registered Dietitian and Director of Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC), the exclusive nutrition education partner for SPARK, was the trainer for the West Orange training, the first ever SPARK and HKC nutrition education training.

“From classroom to PE to wellness council members K-12, the representation and enthusiasm shown at the workshop tells me the commitment this district has to student wellbeing. They truly understand the strategy of using good nutrition and physical activity to create a culture of health in the schools that can do nothing short of fueling student success. This was the first of many great moments down the road for West Orange Schools.”

If your school district is ready to accelerate student achievement by combining physical activity and nutrition education, contact SPARK today. Full day SPARK/HKC nutrition education trainings as well as a new nutrition curriculum in three grade ranges, K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 all are available through SPARK.  Healthy Kids Challenge trainings are tailored to meet school needs for successful implementation of realistic wellness policies, school improvement plans, and TEAM Nutrition guidelines. And SPARK/HKC help you achieve the required criteria for the HealthierUS School Challenge program.

The HKC curriculum, Balance My Day, was developed to align with all HECAT (Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool) standards for nutrition education. This is a new requirement for PEP grant awardees and you won’t find many nutrition education programs that address it.

Stay tuned for exciting happenings and updates from West Orange schools! SPARK and HKC wish them well in their commitment to student health!

So how can you maximize your PEP dollars to assure you are spending money on the PEP grant priorities?  In order to provide equipment, support and training, one needs to have a program of study or curriculum.  The curriculum will drive equipment, training and support.

The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) was specifically designed by CDC to help school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of physical education curricula. PECAT results can help school districts enhance, develop, or select appropriate and effective physical education curricula for delivering high-quality physical education in schools including equipment, training and support.

The PECAT is based on the NASPE national standards for physical education and includes an overview of high-quality physical education, information about physical education curricula, tools to assess a curriculum, and resources for developing a curriculum improvement plan. The PECAT can assist in assessing how closely the written curricula align with national standards for high-quality physical education programs.

Here are the top 10 reasons PECAT takes the mystery out of deciding on quality curriculum for physical education as it relates to the PEP grants. Utilizing the PECAT to determine your needs can strengthen the case for your PEP grant.

1. Fitness education and assessment: PECAT provides guidance to help make clear decisions about your program and what your needs may be in the area of curriculum and assessment.
2. Motor Skill and Physical Activity: PECAT helps to provide a methodical review of curricula instruction in a variety of motor skills and physical activities to determine an appropriate and research based curricula program to purchase for PEP funding.
3. Cognitive Concepts: The PECAT will help determine the development and instruction in, cognitive concepts that support a lifelong healthy lifestyle within a curricula program.
4. Social Concepts: Opportunities to develop positive social and cooperative skills through physical activity participation is a priority for PEP.  The PECAT can assist in evaluation of curricula for the PEP grant funding.
5. Nutrition: One priority for PEP funding is instruction in healthy eating habits and good nutrition.  PECAT and HECAT both can assist in documented evidence in this category.
6. Professional development: PEP encourages the opportunity for growth.  Professional development is a key role and the PECAT can assist in determining the feasibility of a curriculum by including training.
7. Affordable: Money is scares and should be maximized when received.  PECAT has a section in the beginning to help determine if curricula is affordable and appropriate for your school/district.
8. Grade Group Specific:  PECAT helps takes the guesswork out of age appropriateness.  Content and skills are specific for each grade group, pre-K-2; 3-5; 6-8; and 9-12.
9. Assurance: The concepts, sub-skills and skill examples were developed through a rigorous CDC process guided by research evidence and expert opinion.
10. Change Facilitator: PEP recipients are to identify research based programs that can effect change (improvement).  PECAT identifies strengths and weaknesses for change which improve physical education or after school programs, including the research behind the curricula.

Utilizing the PECAT as a methodical process to establish need for curriculum, training and equipment will strengthen you PEP grant and your PEP grant evaluation.  SPARK has been evaluated with PECAT and is not only a research and outcomes based program by its own merit but the PECAT scores show SPARK is also a quality physical education curriculum. Click Here to see the PECAT scores for each SPARK Physical Education program.

1.    Assurance: The concepts, sub-skills and skill examples were developed through a rigorous CDC process guided by research evidence and expert opinion.  Healthy Kids Challenge Director, Vickie James, RD, LD was one of the experts!

2.    Parent-Community-Teacher Justification: It provides clear justification to address why a nutrition education curriculum was adopted and what it contains.  A curriculum aligned with HECAT makes teaching easier, as well as effective.

3.    Healthy Behaviors Identified: Thirteen healthy eating behavior outcomes make content needs very tangible.

4.    Clear Learning Targets: Besides knowledge content, it gives standards to indicate what the student should be able to do (the skills needed).  For example, students will be able to describe foods and beverages that should be limited and analyze influences on their choices, set goals and make healthier choices.

5.    Grade Group Specific: It takes the guesswork out of age appropriateness.  Content and skills are specific for each grade group, pre-K-2; 3-5; 6-8; and 9-12.  For example, while pre-K-2 will be able to choose a variety of healthy snacks, the older grade groups will be able to plan and prepare a healthy snack.

6.    Academic Gains: Eating breakfast every day is one of the healthy behavior outcomes.  Studies indicate students who eat breakfast learn better.  One study even connects iron fortified cereals and math scores.  Besides, breakfast eaters have an easier time maintaining healthy weights.

7.    Resource Friendly: Eating more fruits and veggie is a national goal and another of the healthy eating behaviors.  Many recent grants and resources are directed at this behavior outcome.

8.    Self Esteem and Peer Support: There have been reports of bullying not only about overweight but also because of food allergies.  A curriculum meeting HECAT standards incorporates lessons about how to provide support to peers for making healthy choices; and how to refuse foods that cause allergic reactions or that are less nutritious.

9.    Change Facilitator: Change can be hard.  Healthy eating standards are aligned with changes happening in the school cafeteria, vending, classrooms and other places food is offered.  A curriculum meeting HECAT standards helps students have a good understanding of the concepts behind the changes and provides opportunities for positive discussion.

10.  Achieve Effective PEP and Wellness Policy Outcomes: Nutrition education is a critical PEP and Wellness Policy component.  A curriculum meeting HECAT standards, not only fulfills this requirement, but it provides a reliable way to measure the true goal of healthier schools, which is students with healthier eating behaviors!

The good news is that such a curriculum does exist!  Healthy Kids Challenge is excited to announce the release of new nutrition education curricula, Balance My Day!  Make it a New Year’s resolution to check out Balance My Day, available January 1, 2011.  There is curriculum specific for three grade groups, K-2; 3-5; and 6-8.  Balance My Day is aligned with HECAT: Module Healthy Eating standards and is very teacher friendly.  The Healthy Kids Challenge goal is to make teaching and learning simple and fun.

Using technology in physical education can be a powerful motivational and evaluative tool.  Don’t miss our upcoming webinar “Integrating Technology: Authentic Assessment in Physical Education” if you want to learn how to incorporate authentic assessment using pedometers, heart rate monitors and iPads to measure student progress.

Attendees will learn:

• Benefits of using technology in physical education
• Examples of technology currently being used in schools
• Sample assessments for measuring student progress
• Where to look for funding to add technology to your program

When: Wednesday, October 13th at 3pm Pacific, 6pm Eastern

Who: Grades PreK-12 teachers and administrators, PE specialists, after school and early childhood teachers and staff

Duration: 45 minutes

Cost: Free!

Registration: Click Here to register

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The new version of the USDA – approved food pyramid includes the following breakdown of daily servings based on a 2,000-calorie diet (adult):

Grains: 6 Ounces
Vegetables: 2.5 Cups
Fruits: 2 Cups
Milk: 3 Cups
Meat and Beans: 5.5 Ounces
Oils (From Fish, Vegetables and Nuts): Consume in moderation
Exercise: Children should be physically active for at least 60 minutes most days of the week.

Let’s face it, the Lunchables and Fruit Roll Ups may be easy and convenient, but they are far from nutritious. Some classic stand-by options of your youth just will not cut it for your kids. The key to healthy school lunches is thinking ahead. Pack lunches the night before, and get your kids to help so they can tell you what they like to eat. Here are a few great lunch items that will energize your kids, without leaving them hungry for more!

Meal #1

• Avocado and Turkey on Whole Grain Bread
• Apple
• String Cheese and Crackers
• Peanuts and M&M’s
• 100% Juice box

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Meal #2

• Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts in Whole Grain Pita
• Banana
• Yogurt
• Natural Fruit Snacks
• Flavored Water

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Meal #3

• Almond Butter and Natural Honey on Wheat Bread
• Baby Carrots
• Celery Sticks with Low Fat Cream Cheese and Raisins
• 2 Small Homemade Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 2% Milk

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Meal #4

• Wheat Bagel with Lean Roast Beef, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mustard
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
• Shelled Pistachios, Cashews and Almonds
• 2% Milk

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Meal #5

• Peanut Butter and Chunky Jelly on 12-Grain Bread
• Fruit “kabob”: Pineapple, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Strawberries
• All-Natural Crackers or Popcorn
• 2% Chocolate Milk

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Each of these lunches provides a healthy portion of the different food groups, without compromising flavor. Whenever adding condiments, be sure to do so in moderation, and only if they ask for it. Consider a “treat” once a week such as Goldfish Crackers, or a Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss to keep your kids satisfied! Remember to listen to your kids when they tell you what they like or do not like for lunch so you can be sure they are eating it all!

Things to avoid

While it may be easy to buy packaged and processed items in bulk from your local Costco or Sam’s Club, many those foods do not add up to a nutritious lunch. Here are a few snacks to avoid, or supply only in moderation.

Flavored Chips and Snacks

Be it corn or potato, these fried and baked snacks are normally loaded with MSG, and a number of artificial additives your kids can’t even pronounce. If you’re looking for a little crunch with a flavor punch, try all-natural alternatives. Crackers, veggie straws, and natural popcorn can provide just enough flavor and crunch to satisfy your kids’ cravings without harming their bodies or draining them of energy.

Pre-packaged Meals

There is nothing easier in the world than handing your kid a pre-packaged Lunchable or other brand of lunch item. They’re happy, and you can check another item off of your early morning to-do list. However, not only are these items often over twice the cost of a bagged lunch, they pack hardly any nutritional value. If you cannot feasibly cut them out of the lunch rotation, try to save them for rare and special occasions, such as field trips.

Tuna Fish

As much as we hate to admit it, our kids will worry about what other kids think. Smelly options such as tuna fish can make their lunch boxes smell, and attract unwanted attention. If they hate certain food items because of the way they smell, they will probably throw them away and just eat their snacks. Listen to your kids when packing healthy lunches!

That’s because when you google “budget crisis,” you see a big picture of the Golden State with a black hole where Sacramento used to be. California was in terrible economic shape BEFORE the great recession hit. We even heard our Governor talk about closing state parks, selling the Del Mar Fairgrounds and racetrack, and other extreme measures to make up for the revenue shortfall. California is beyond broke, we’re in debt, big debt, all the way up to the top of our surfboards.

You know the cycle. Budget woes affect schools, school budgets effect teachers and students, and if your image is the one on the bottom of the educational totem pole (read, you’re a physical education teacher) you have to tolerate yet another battery of low blows to your professional mid-section. I’m embarassed to say, that a local, former Assembly-person, Mary Salas, was the ringleader for one of the worst physical education inspired ideas since picking teams for dodgeball. She drafted and tried to pass a bill (AB 351) that would allow high school students to take band, ROTC, cheerleading, et. al, in lieu of their PE requirement.

This concept was popular with some parents and students, who unfortunately, don’t know the difference between today’s physical education (a standards-based, progressive, sequential, and evaluated course of study) and physical activity. And it became painfully obvious Ms. Salas and her staff didn’t either. Either that or the idea of upsetting some influential parents was just too hard a stand to take. I personally spoke on the phone with one of her assistants, and while he listened to reason, I was quite certain his boss’s mind was made up.

My argument? Students are physically active (at times) in band, ROTC, and cheerleading, of course; but to draw a parallel to those programs and today’s physical education is simply wrong. It’s the equivalent of allowing students to take band instead of Math (after all, in band they march in formation, count the number of instruments?) or ROTC instead of Science (wait, guns are made of metals and consist of elements don’t they?) or cheerleading instead of English (but our students read and write routines, why would we make them read AGAIN for English class?). You get the idea.

Now look, we all love giving students choices, and ROTC, band, and cheerleading in and of themselves, should absolutely be a part of every high school’s program. There is no disrespect or devaluation here, I believe ALL learning and moving opportunities are important. It’s more an apples to oranges approach when you talk about equivalent substitutes. So while I agree 100% with Patrick Henry High students Dickerson and Szabo (Aug. 15, 2010 “Cheerleading isn’t physical? Get real.”) that cheerleaders are athletes and should receive the same support and opportunities as other athletes, I’m saying, athletics is to physical education as math is to science.

And, with the CA high school PE requirement already limited to freshman year — and one more before graduation — presenting more “opt out options” represents a move in the wrong direction. Students need MORE quality physical education daily; not less. Fortunately, Michelle Obama understands the link between childhood obesity and our rising high care costs.

So, what happened to the Salas bill? Logic and reason prevailed. The bill was killed. And what happened to Mary Salas? Let’s just say, good luck Juan Vargas.

Well, California is a great place to live. We still have our budget crisis, our crazy politicians, a Governor who has trouble pronouncing our state, but that’s OK. When cornered, our people pull together, fight the madness, and do what’s best for our kids. Let’s all hope we have a few parks and pennies to leave them when our latest financial mess is behind us.

-Paul Rosengard

What can parents and families do? Here are a few ideas:

Provide Opportunities for Activity

• Enroll their children in after school sports, classes or recreational activities
• Expose them to a variety of physical activities
• Identify ways to be active around your home or neighborhood

Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

• Provide healthy snacks
• Prepare meals with food from all of the food groups
• Cook with your children

Be a Role Model

• Be active regularly — and invite your child to join you
• Reduce your own television and computer time
• Cook more and eat out less

Monitor Screen Time

• Limit the time spent each day using computers, video games and television
• Avoid eating in front of the television
• Provide alternate activities for children to enjoy

Advocate for a Healthier School

• Daily physical education taught by qualified, credentialed physical educators — hopefully SPARK trained!
• Healthier school lunches in all school environments (cafeteria, a la carte line, student body sales, etc.)
• Using non-food related items for fundraisers and rewards

The SPARK research study was designed to pilot our programs and research their effectiveness with elementary schools. Intervention schools were provided curriculum, equipment, and materials in addition to staff development to implement the programs. The desired outcomes of the project were to increase student physical activity levels, health knowledge and improve health behaviors. For teachers and staff the focus was to increase the quality and quantity of nutrition, health and physical education levels as well as improving their own health.

Although the results of the research project won’t be released until this fall, one of the intervention schools has used this opportunity as a springboard to making some significant additions to their school. Locust Grove Elementary has recently partnered with two local hospitals to fund a full-time nutrition education teacher and provide a weekly class for all K-5 students. In addition to adding a nutrition component to their curriculum, they have created a Minds in Motion Lab for physical activity where students will spend 10 minutes a day going through different stations to improve their coordination, motor skill development, balance, and rhythm. The goal of this program is to increase the quantity of physical activity as well as to prepare the brain for learning. Locust Grove also has several policies now in place to support the healthy school environment. The two most significant policies state that all teachers must provide 20 minutes of physical activity every day, and food is not allowed in classrooms for classroom celebrations or to be used as a reward for students.

Making these types of changes requires a commitment not only from the administration to pass the policies and fund the programs, but from the school staff to implement the policies and from the parents to support the changes. Would you like to improve your school environment using the Coordinated School Health Model? Give us a call at SPARK to find out where to start!

-Jeff Mushkin
Project Specialist/Trainer

It’s mid-summer and although we’re not trying to get you back to school too soon, we do want you to be prepared when the time comes. So, we’ve added the first of our new iPad features for a handful of 3-6 Instructional Units. Check out our new Dynamic Rubrics and Class Roster templates.

Each Rubric and Roster template is given in XLS format and has been designed to look great and function well on iPad and laptops alike. Currently, we’ve posted these tools in the following units (3-6 Instructional Media Library): Aerobic Games, Chasing & Fleeing, Group Fitness, and Racquets & Paddles.

Here’s the quick-tips version on how they work:
(Numbers App is required for iPad)

1. Visit SPARKfamily.org and download a Dynamic Rubric and Class Roster.
2. Open the files in Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers.
3. Type student names into the Class Roster for quick cut-and-paste into each rubric. See tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet for 8 separate classes.
4. Save the rubric in an organized Rubrics folder.
5. After names are entered into your rubric, connect iPad, select your iPad device in iTunes and select the Apps tab.
6. Click on the Numbers App, then click “Add…” below the Numbers Documents listing.
7. Choose the rubric you’d like to work with and click open.
8. Sync your iPad and you’re ready to work!

Look for detailed iPad tutorials this Fall in the SPARKfamily .org Resource Center.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. We’re looking forward to serving you in the 2010-11 school year!

Aaron Hart
Development Director
SPARKfamily.org