Teen Empowerment Program
Reaps Raves and Results
Charlotte, NC, May 27, 2005 – After just six weekly sessions of instruction on fitness and nutrition, the 24 participants of the first Operation Jump-Start teen empowerment program are raving about their experience and their parents are applauding the results. Here’s just a sample of the feedback:
From the participants (ages 7 to 15):
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The instructors really helped me understand nutrition and the importance of exercise. I always felt good after OJS. I give this program an A+.
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I learned that when you exercise it makes you feel good and helps you to build a strong body.
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I learned what foods make me look good, change my attitude and give me more energy.
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It was a fun program... I looked forward to every Tuesday.
From their parents:
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When we go through the drive-through, my daughter now is more conscious of what she orders. She now replaces the fries with a side order of fruit for example.
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My kids came home asking me to get the recipes for the healthy snacks served at OJS.
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My son was very excited about the exercises he was doing. In fact, I think it was very good for his self-esteem!
On the first and last sessions, the students were given surveys to rate their self-esteem, energy level, eating habits and fitness on a scale of 0 to 5 (0 means disagree and 5 means agree). After participating in Operation Jump-Start for six weeks, their personal assessment ratings improved across the board at least slightly, but in some categories, the improvement was quite significant. Here’s a comparison of the average responses to three key statements:
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Assessment statements:
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Session 1
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Session 2
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I feel satisfied with how my body looks.
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2.9
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3.7
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I know what foods I should eat.
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2.8
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4.4
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I exercise to make myself feel better.
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2.5
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3.9
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The students were also asked to list ten foods they should include in their diets as much as possible, ten they should limit and ten healthy snacks. The average number of correct responses in the first session was 6.7 out of 30 or 22%. In the final session, they averaged 20.6 correct answers out of 30 or 68.7%.
Those numbers are exciting news to Operation Jump-Start’s facilitators. The Carolina Wellness Coalition developed the pilot program in partnership with the host facility, the Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center in south Charlotte. Their common goal is to launch a program that can be duplicated nationwide to turn the tide on the childhood obesity epidemic. Facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show just how serious the problem has become:
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Among children and teens ages 6-19, 16 percent (over 9 million) are overweight according to the 1999-2002 data, or TRIPLE what the proportion was in 1980.
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Type-2 diabetes has increased 15-fold in children in the past seven years. 1 in 3 children born in 2000 will become diabetic.
Operation Jump-Start was developed to empower young teens to take control of their total body wellness through instruction in health, fitness, nutrition and goal setting. This after-school program launched April 5th and was open to the public. Fitness and wellness trainer Terrie Reeves, nutritionist Dottie Ryan, Dr. Jessica Stadtmauer, JCC teen director Kevin Ziman and journalist Kay Lewis led the charge every Tuesday afternoon for six weeks. Each session consisted of exercise and information exchange between the facilitators and participants. The exercise portions consisted of yoga and stretching, weight lifting and weight resistance training, basketball drills, athletic conditioning, obstacle course training and kickboxing. The educational segments covered nutrition, exercise, goal setting and self-empowerment and included an open forum time for participants to share their thoughts and ideas while they chowed down on healthy snacks.
Participants received OJS backpacks filled with: a book on health entitled Health Basics by Dr. Michael Richardson, a S.L.A.M.-Dunk Wellness Playbook covering the six-week program, a S.L.A.M.-Dunk Journal and a diary to record their private thoughts. They also received Bobcats tickets, Operation Jump-Start certificates of completion and they were treated to a wrap-up party hosted by Earth Fare.
Kevin Ziman has managed a lot of youth programs over the years but he said he was particularly excited about the way Operation Jump-Start ran. “It was so rewarding to see the kids get excited every Tuesday. I think this program will have a lasting impression on the lives of every child who had the opportunity to participate. It is truly one of the most beneficial programs I have ever seen developed. I can’t wait until the next program begins in September.”
When Jessica Stadtmauer, N.D., was asked why she was attracted to this program she responded, “It was so exciting to get this really important information regarding exercise, diet and healthy life choices out to kids. We wanted this program to be really cool and fun for the kids. Based on the feedback and the enthusiasm we experienced each week... I’d say we accomplished our mission. I am also glad to see that the kids walked away with a better understanding of total body wellness.”
Each child who participated in the first Operation Jump-Start took part in the filming of a DVD series entitled “Operation Jump-Start...Creating Teen Self-esteem!” The DVD will be a central part of a fitness instruction kit that is being developed for distribution across the country, especially to after-school programs and fitness centers like the one at the JCC.
More than a dozen scholarships where made available for the pilot program through the support of the Charlotte Bobcats Charitable Foundation, the American Dairy Association’s “3-A-Day of Dairy” campaign, Diamond Springs Water, Charlotte Health and Fitness Magazine, Dr. Charles Payet, Ryan Hoover’s Extreme Karate, Charlotte Fitness Equipment, Peter Kwok’s Kung Fu Academy and All Body Systems, Earth Fare, Pine Mountain Resort, Superior Fitness Systems, Thunder Road Brandworks, Evolution Sports Training, Jami Masters School of Dance, Julie Tache of Helen Adams Realty and Sharper Image.
Two New Sessions Scheduled for Fall 2005:
The Wellness Coalition is partnering again with the Levine Jewish Community Center to launch two new Operation Jump-Start sessions in September and November 2005. For complete details regarding the programs, please visit www.wellnesscoalition.net and click on Operation Jump-Start.
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