Jan 21 2010
ProMedica Health System (PHS) is offering high school
students an opportunity to create a children's exercise program for a chance to win
$5,000 for college. On Saturday, Jan. 30, teens from 11 high schools in the following
cities in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan will participate in the second annual
Fields of Green scholarship program: Bellevue, OH; Blissfield, Mich.; Defiance, OH;
Elmore, OH; Oregon, OH; Perrysburg, OH; Sherwood, OH; Sylvania, OH; and Toledo, OH.
The competition will be held at The Toledo Hospital, 2142 North Cove Blvd. The
scholarship program is part of a comprehensive health and fitness initiative, which is
designed to combat childhood obesity.
PHS selected 10 finalist teams from a pool of 60 entries. The finalists will be judged
on their ideas for a 20-30 minute fun and interactive exercise program that will
appeal to elementary school children. Each program must include a detailed budget, a
method for evaluating the program's success and a creative slogan. Each team member
will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and $1,000 for their school's health and
science program. The winning program also will be implemented in several
elementary schools in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan this spring.
PHS' first high school scholarship program was held in January 2009, Lunch 101: Food
for Thought. It challenged teens to create a nutritionally-balanced
elementary school lunch program. Last year, PHS awarded $42,000 to the
winners and their schools.
"As a community-based health system, we have a responsibility to encourage
healthier lifestyle habits, particularly in children, that will produce
lasting, positive results," said Randy Oostra, PHS president and chief
executive officer. "We look forward to rewarding these hardworking students
for their innovative ideas that will lead to healthier kids."
Another PHS program called the Healthy Kids Conversation Map® Program
includes a series of interactive, educational sessions conducted in various
community settings to encourage children and adults to adopt healthy eating
habits.
SOURCE: ProMedica Health System