Chew This, Nutrition TV Show for Philadelphia Kids

Jenna Manero Cruz, School District of Philadelphia

EAT.RIGHT.NOW. is entering its sixth year as an official nutrition education program of the School District of Philadelphia. This program is funded by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program (PA NEP) as part of the USDA’s Food Stamp Program. EAT.RIGHT.NOW. provides nutrition outreach programs and services to public school students, teachers, staff, administrators and parents. It is based at both school and community sites, during school hours as well as after school and involves nutrition education at various levels. During the 2004–2005 school year, EAT.RIGHT.NOW. successfully reached 1,517,921 participants (duplicated and unduplicated) through various direct and indirect outreach programs and services. Thanks to recent expansion of the program for the 2005–2006 school year, it is estimated that outreach will grow to approximately 7,348,922 (duplicated and unduplicated).

 Chew This is a nutrition TV show for students K-5 th grade and one of the newest programs offered by EAT.RIGHT.NOW. The show airs on the School District of Philadelphia cable channel 52 and functions as an educational tool for both teachers in the classroom as well as for students and parents at home who subscribe to cable. This fun and interactive program includes cartoon animations, lively music and special guest appearances from local athletes, police officers, firefighters, Philadelphia School District students and other members of the community who help to teach young viewers about healthy eating habits and making good food choices.

The third season premiere of Chew This features Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins and highlights the importance of calcium-rich foods. In the episode, Dawkins wins the “Strong Bones” award and celebrates with students at a local elementary school by making smoothies. Teachers can download follow-up materials for this and subsequent episodes, posted on the EAT.RIGHT.NOW. Web site: www.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/physed/webmaterial/Health/Nutrition/nutritionmp.html.

All lesson plans and follow-up materials are in compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Academic Standards. Dawkins’s appearance on the program was sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association.

Developing lesson plans and follow-up materials that integrate nutrition topics into classroom curricula has been a key factor in motivating teachers to participate in our program. Teachers in school districts, such as Philadelphia, that are struggling to increase test scores and improve academic performance of students are often restricted from using extracurricular activities during classroom time. By using EAT.RIGHT.NOW. nutrition education programs, teachers are finding fun ways to promote good nutrition while meeting state standards for academics at the same time.