PANA Plans Great Things in the Year Ahead

Joel L. Cliff, PR Director

Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) is charging full steam ahead into 2007 with a lineup of valuable programs and activities, as well as the unveiling of an exciting new youth-based cause campaign: NRG – Powered by Choice. PANA is a statewide coalition of various public and private partners working with schools and communities to help promote healthy eating and physical activity through implementation of the Pennsylvania Nutrition & Physical Activity Plan.

We’ve assembled some basic information here on many of these items, but your best source for more about NRG and all the other latest PANA news and developments is our next Satellite Program Update on January 23 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is free; just go to PANA’s Web site at www.panaonline.org/programs/khz/satellite/index.php. You can choose from twenty-nine site locations across Pennsylvania, and Act 48 hours are available.

Be sure to join us for an educational morning of presentations by PANA staff and expert panelists, live question-and-answer sessions and opportunities for local networking and information sharing.

During the update, we’ll share all the details of NRG (text lingo for “energy”), which empowers youth aged 12–18 to lead changes that support a balance of healthy eating and active lifestyle choices in schools and communities. The campaign provides adult leaders (teachers, advisors, and community leaders) with a framework to engage youth in these healthy change efforts.

The program provides youth with a positive outlet to channel their thoughts and ideas on a more balanced lifestyle into planned activities, thereby creating ownership and support for the resulting changes. Possible activities include producing media and messages, taking part in community and civic activities, leading events and fundraisers, and serving as role models for younger children.

In addition, signing on to the NRG Network provides a ccess to cool technology applications like iTunes, iLife and Flickr, as well as recognition and rewards for participating in NRG activities.

Teachers and community youth advisors are encouraged to get a head start by visiting the campaign’s Web site (www.poweredbychoice.org) in advance and signing up as an NRG advisor by January 12—just click on the “ For Advisors” button. All advisors will receive NRG Promotion Packs (posters, “OBX-style” magnets, etc.) in the mail, access to training and technical assistance, and details on the campaign’s official kick-off via satellite broadcast on March 6, during which mini-grant applications will be released.

For more information on the campaign, contact Rebecca Stametz, PANA School and Community Program Coordinator, at rstametz@panaonline.org or 717 -540-2636.

Another PANA program which will be highlighted during the January Update broadcast is the innovative and widespread Keystone Healthy Zone (KHZ) schools campaign, a free annual program that provides schools with access to resources, promotional events, and mini-grants for improving nutrition and increasing physical activity.

The fourth annual free enrollment period for the KHZ program will soon be here for any school wishing to participate during the 2007–08 school year. From March 1 to April 20, any public or private school in the state can enroll on PANA’s Web site to become a KHZ school. There are no requirements for or expectations of KHZ schools; enrollment simply recognizes you for your great work and provides direct access to resources to support your local school and community activities. Join us on January 23 to learn more.

By doing so, you’ll be in good and growing company—the program has nearly doubled in size since its inception in 2004. In only three years, KHZ has enrolled an impressive 79 percent of Pennsylvania’s 501 school districts, reaching 1,677 schools and 913,000 students in 2006. And change is happening.

The program’s training materials, technical assistance, and other resources have helped participants increase physical activity before and after school, invigorate their school health councils, enhance the time or quality of their physical education curriculum, change vending or a la carte food options, better integrate nutrition education, and upgrade their physical education equipment.

The more schools that PANA enrolls each year, the more sponsor and government support we can generate, which in turn translates into more resources delivered back to you. Please encourage all the buildings in your district to enroll.

One of the most exciting aspects of the KHZ program is the schedule of special events throughout the school year that provides a series of focal points for schools to highlight their nutrition and activity efforts among their communities and local media. We’ll discuss several of these during January’s Update, with full details on how to get involved. Following the broadcast, you’ll be able to visit the relevant sections on our Web site at www.panaonline.org/programs/khz/enterthezone/index.php for activity ideas, contest information, downloadable materials, templates, and other resources.

Our next event, Go for the Greens on March 14, is a great way to increase support for healthy food choices among youth, families and the community. Promotional posters will be distributed at the January 23 Update. Start planning now and join us in using creative, fun ways to encourage eating a variety of green veggies as part of a healthy diet.

The following month, PANA and its coalition partners will take part in the nationwide TV-Turnoff Week, April 23–29. Too much television contributes to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity; turning it off provides more time for physical activity, reading and reconnecting with family and friends.

Additionally, the community activities associated with TV-Turnoff Week will serve as PANA’s kickoff period for the summer portion of its Keystone Active Zone (KAZ) campaign. The KAZ campaign helps develop county-level partnerships with health, recreation and education professionals to promote local parks and trails as great places for physical activity. These professionals are invited to join us earlier in the month, on April 3, for our Annual KAZ Satellite Training session from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at twenty-nine locations across the state. Registration is free and will begin on February 19; visit www.keystoneactivezone.com for more information. You’ll learn tips for implementing the program from other county teams, get details on our new Physical Education Recreation Kit (PERK) and receive mini-grant applications for 2007–08.

And on May 2, PANA will work with its partners to coordinate a Keystone Healthy Zone Celebration Day as part of the national All Children Exercising Simultaneously (ACES) Day. Schools will be encouraged to hang their KHZ banners and plan activities in celebration of their wellness efforts.

To successfully address childhood obesity, the problem requires a comprehensive team effort. We hope you’ll join us on January 23 to find out how you can team up with PANA during 2007. To register for this Update broadcast or learn more about PANA in general, please visit www.panaonline.org.