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Children's Museums to Launch Childhood Obesity Prevention Programming
Children's museums in New York City and New Orleans are planning to launch programs aimed at addressing childhood obesity in high-need neighborhoods, the Associated Press reports. To be carried out in connection with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the program seeks to extend the mission of the NIH's We Can! Energize our Families: Parent's Program, a science-based national education program. As part of the program, the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) will pilot and evaluate the We Can! program among families of children ages 2 to 5 who reside at East Side House Settlement in the South Bronx. The museum will also promote the messages of the We Can! program through a new exhibit and public program at the museum that will feature art, music and storytelling programs to teach proper nutrition to children and handouts with healthy recipe ideas and tips about healthy eating for parents. The Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans will launch a similar effort, funded by a $250,000 award from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and ongoing program support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Noting that "helping our children live healthier lifestyles is a top priority for this administration," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that "partnerships like this one are a great example of the kinds of creative efforts we need in order to reach at-risk children and their families with the information and resources that can help them live longer, healthier, more productive lives" (AP/Long Island Newsday, 10/23/09; CMOM release, 10/23/09).