Whole, Happy, Healthy

Our Project Rise afterschool programs’ theme this week is happy and healthy, two things we’re all about here at Operation Shoestring. Walking into each classroom at Rowan School–our location this year as we renovate our old building a few blocks away–is like peeking into another world. Each space has been thoughtfully designed by our afterschool team to provide our kids with a focus on health and wellness. In one class the kids learn about concepts of physical health, like strength and balance, with each child taking turns demonstrating these concepts.

Traveling a few doors down, the children are color-coding “healthy plates” as they learn about the portions of vegetables, proteins, and grains needed to make a proper diet.

Another group is working on understanding their self-worth by taking turns saying what they most like about themselves.

These lessons are a part of Operation Shoestring’s dedication to helping our kids and their families lead healthy lives. And one of the great partners helping us do this–and we have several including Blue Cross & Blue Shield of MS, St. Dominic’s, and the Junior League of Jackson–is the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “There’s such a strong link between good nutrition and education. Healthy students are more likely to attend school more often and can pay better attention,” said Mary Saulters, program administrator for the Center of Obesity Research at UMMC. “Operation Shoestring is providing the education on nutrition and healthy living and we want to support them in any way we can.”

Through this partnership, we’re planning some super exciting experiences for our kids and families. Every month there’ll be a healthy foods taste test for the kids. Also, as we develop our gardening to cooking curriculum, there are plans to teach the children more about how to choose and grow the right foods and to feel the pride that comes with that. There’s also a parent leadership initiative to teach parents about healthy food choices, food budgeting, and how to add physical activity into your family routine.

We look forward to all the possibilities this partnership with UMMC and others like it will bring our children and families. As we strive to create an ecosystem of high-quality learners, we must include educational opportunities around nutrition and health. All children deserve the chance to lead whole, healthy and happy lives.