Fall 2001 Issue
Promoting Better Health for Youth through Physical Activity
The CDC Foundation has received a grant of $250,000 from MetLife Foundation to support the development of guides for parents and school personnel and administrators to promote physical activity among youth. The guides, to be produced by scientists and health educators at CDC, will outline practical strategies for encouraging young people to engage in physical activity and sports programs at home and in schools.
In 2000, a White House report presented, for the first time, a comprehensive agenda to promote physical activity among young people. The report, co-authored by CDC, was distributed to national and state-level health educators; however, few parents and educators at the local level were exposed to the report’s messages. The new guides, will help deliver the messages to the groups who have the most influence on the behaviors of young people.
Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation, says, “Physical activity in childhood has many positive effects - it helps build healthy bones; reduces the likelihood of smoking or drug use; and introduces children to teamwork, self-discipline, and leadership. MetLife Foundation is pleased to support this nationwide initiative to provide parents and school staff and administrators with the tools needed to motivate young people to be involved in more physical activity.”
The CDC Foundation will oversee development of the guides and hire the necessary contractors, while a CDC team from the divisions of Nutrition and Physical Activity and Adolescent and School Health will manage the project and provide technical expertise.
The MetLife Foundation grant includes funding to implement a broad-based marketing and dissemination plan once the guides are developed. It also includes resources for preparing a Spanish language version of the parent guide.