What's New in the Community?

CATCH learning isn't limited to the school day. Students learn about healthy activities with their families and communities. Family involvement increases the effectiveness of the program and reinforces what is learned in school.

New Child Health Initiative in California

In an unprecedented state measure to improve child health through increased physical activity, the California legislature has approved 2007 funding that would provide over $900M to support physical education and the arts, and after school programming delivered through schools and community based organizations. Physical education program supplies, physical activity staff training, and curricular support programs like CATCH are eligible for funding. Click here for more

We recently visited California to  see how CATCH research translates into practice for several school and after school programs in the Newport Mesa area.

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The Montgomery County We Can! Community Site utilizes CATCH Kids Club in their summer camp programming!

CATCH Kids Club was one of the key successes of the Montgomery County, Maryland We Can! Community Site. Montgomery County offered the CATCH Kids Club Curriculum to youths at four of its summer camps. The participants in Montgomery County 's camps met Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for two weeks and performed CATCH activities every day. Site organizers marketed the youth program in its summer guide, which attracted 66 kids. The site found CATCH easy to use because it provides the information and resource materials to assist after-school staff and counselors to successfully integrate structured activities and nutrition lessons into its programs. The children enjoyed the program-both the physical activities and nutrition lessons-and especially liked the food label exercise and learning how to distinguish between different types of milk.

The site contact reported, "I enjoyed seeing something already prepared. It helped [our] camp directors to have a set script and curriculum. That takes off a lot of stress from planning something new and something that the kids are going to learn from."

In addition to implementing CATCH Kids Club, Montgomery County conducted two implementations of the We Can! Parent Curriculum and generated community involvement through two community events. These events attracted more than 1,000 community members, generated local media coverage, and nurtured partnerships with four organizations in the community. Montgomery County 's health expo was covered in The Gazette , on Hot 99.5 radio station, partners' Web sites, and on buses.

Contact us for more information on CATCH!