CATCH Champion -August 2008
Interview with Gina Sims
California State University, Chico
When did you and your district adopt the CATCH Program and what prompted you to do so?
I started incorporating aspects of the CATCH Program into my work with the Network for a Healthy California—Children’s Power Play! Campaign starting in June 2007. I was fortunate to attend a CATCH PE training in Orange County, CA and I was eager to share what I had learned with the passionate and dedicated nutrition educators I work with in the rural Sierra Cascade Region of Northern California.
Describe notable changes since implementing CATCH and how you know CATCH is working.
Attending a CATCH training has had a tremendous impact on my job. By incorporating CATCH into activities with youth, community partners, and professional presentations, I have not only strengthened my personal skills as a trainer and youth leader, but I have also been struck by the power of play and how it enhances our nutrition education efforts.
What are the keys to your success?
We have had great successes by sharing CATCH resources and trainings with the members of our 12 county Regional Collaborative via the Network for a Healthy California. We are a very rural region and sharing resources and expertise is key to improving access to fruits, vegetables, and physical activity within our communities. When we meet quarterly, and annually, we work together as a regional team to create dynamic opportunities for our partners to learn new skills and gain exposure to cutting edge resources that are available to support our mission.
What advice can you offer for those just beginning and for those who have already implemented the CATCH Program.
I would encourage those just beginning to recruit parents, teachers, Nutrition Services staff and community members as partners to enhance existing nutrition education and physical activity efforts. The CATCH trainings and materials provide a great framework for creating a holistic coordinated school health program. When everyone works together the impact on the health of our children is tremendous.
What was your most significant barrier and how did you overcome the challenge?
Funding for training and materials was our most significant barrier. Since CATCH has such a strong nutrition education component, we were fortunate to be able to use grant funds to provide training for our staff and purchase materials to share with our partners. We invited school and community partners to attend the training to maximize the impact of our CATCH trainer’s presence in Chico, CA. I would encourage anyone interested in hosting a CATCH training to be creative, pool resources, and to reach out to non-traditional partners for funding because it is definitely worth it!
What has been the reaction from parents, administration, students and community?
Kids love CATCH activities. Our educators and teachers love CATCH activities because they are engaging, active, and most importantly, easy to use. Our next step is to recruit parents for their participation in nutrition education and physical activity outreach activities on school campuses.
What are your plans for the future? What is your CATCH vision?
Now that many of our staff have attended a CATCH training, we want to continue the momentum and have talked about incorporating CATCH activities into regular staff meetings. It has become regular practice now for us to compliment every nutrition education activity with engaging, non-competitive physical activities as well. We love helping kids and adults alike rediscover the power of play.
Anything else you would like to add?
As part of the Network for a Healthy California, we encourage kids and their families to be Champions for Change in their communities by choosing fruits, vegetables, and daily physical activity. CATCH has been a fabulous resource for us and has enhanced our efforts significantly. Personally, I feel more empowered to lead physical activities with both youth and community leaders and utilizing CATCH has brought a new level of fun and satisfaction to my job. I am grateful for the trainings I have received and love the ease of using CATCH materials.
Contact us for more information on CATCH!
| 
