HKLC Overall Goal: Conduct a community-wide demonstration project that creates local and state collaborative efforts to increase access, opportunities, and resources to empower Las Cruces children and youth to change eating and physical activity behaviors to those that promote health and prevent obesity. If shown to be effective, other New Mexico communities will be encouraged to replicate the project.
Healthy Kids Las Cruces began in November 2007 with a National Governors Association grant award of $100,000 for one year which provided funding for infrastructure to begin this demonstration project focused on childhood obesity prevention.
Since our first stakeholder meeting in December 2007, we have made some significant progress towards our action items outlined in our Implementation Plan (see link below).
Meetings and Newsletters:
(Newsletters & Agendas in Downloads Section Below)
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Implementation Plan:
The Healthy Kids Las Cruces Implementation Plan was released to the public on April 24th, 2008
accompanied by the Healthy Kids Las Cruces Fact Sheet.
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Community and Regional Planning Setting:
Five Year Vision: Create a safe, accessible, and adequate Las Cruces infrastructure that expands opportunities to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating in the built-environment for children, youth, and families.
Safe Routes to School is a federally funded program that encourages kids to walk or bike to school and supports infrastructure projects to make non-motorized transportation methods safe for students. Regular physical activity, such as walking to school each day, has many health benefits and may improve the concentration and learning abilities of students. In addition, walking or biking to school can lessen congestion at school drop-off points and is an environmentally friendly alternative to cars or busses. Safe Routes to School not only works to build sidewalks and improve crosswalks but also educates students on how to become safe pedestrians and cyclists. Schools actively participating in SRTS are Hillrise, Mesilla, Hermosa Heights, Conlee Elementary and Camino Real Middle School as of school year 2009-2010.
For more information on the Las Cruces Safe Routes to School program, contact Naoma Staley, Las Cruces Coordinator at Katherine.staley@las-cruces.org or (575) 528-3068
For the State level please contact Jessica Frost, NM SRTS Coordinator, NMDOT; Jessica.frost@state.nm.us or 505-476-2155 http://www.nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=15411
Complete Streets Resolutions plus additional transportation planning information can be found at the Metropolitan Planning Organization at http://lcpoweb.las-cruces.org
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Educational Setting:
Five Year Vision: Create an environment where LCPS students have the opportunity to participate in daily physical activities, are aware of nutrition and how it affects their physical and emotional well-being, make informed and healthy choices in selecting food items from school vending machines and in the cafeteria line, and are exposed to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools.
Various nutrition education programs are being supported at the schools through the LCPS Nutrition Services Department and Nursing Services Departments. Several programs implemented have received State and National Recognition. To find out more about these programs please visit the LCPS website: www.lcps.k12.nm.us
Flagship School: Conlee Elementary
Conlee Elementary School is Las Cruces’ flagship school for Healthy Kids Las Cruces programs and initiatives. While there are numerous nutrition education and physical activity programs going on around the city, Conlee has adopted several programs to see which efforts area best at encouraging behavior change in children within the school setting. Students at Conlee start the day by being physically active and dancing to a song broadcasted on their announcements, Conlee Colt TV. They have breakfast in the classroom along with recess before lunch (which has been shown to increase food consumption), a school garden, utilizing the Organ Wise Guys program, plus overall role modeling on healthy lifestyles with students and staff. They have a Cooking with Kids classroom program in certain grades, which teaches the students how to cook various meals from around the world which incorporates the benchmarks and standards required all through a nutrition education program. Evaluations on the programs have been done through tracking of BMI, focus groups and parent surveys. For more information on Conlee Elementary efforts and programs, contact principal Jennifer Terrazas at
jterraza@lcps.k12.nm.us ..
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Food System Setting:
Five Year Vision: Create a Las Cruces community where healthy foods are more available, accessible, affordable, marketed, and demanded by consumers, especially low-income consumers. Healthy foods are defined as nutrient-dense, locally produced, minimally processed, humanely raised, and/or seasonal.
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Healthcare Settings:
Five Year Vision: To create a system in which the children, youth and families of Las Cruces understand, have access to, and utilize health maintenance and wellness education services as they relate to obesity prevention.
Prescription Trails
Prescription Trails is a tool for health providers to encourage physical activity for their clients and patients. It includes a guidebook with information on twenty walking trails and parks around Las Cruces, maps of their locations around the city, the difficulty and distance of each trail, and what attractions or amenities are nearby. In addition to the guidebooks, providers will be supplied with prescription pads so they can prescribe specific amounts of exercise to their patients. For more information on the Prescription Trails program, please contact Dawn Sanchez at (575) 528-5148, Dawn.Sanchez@state.nm.us, or Carolyn Small at (575) 528-6017, Carolyn.Small@state.nm.us.
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Families and Community Setting:
Five Year Vision: Create public awareness on ways to eat healthfully and be active and increase opportunities and support for regular community activities that motivate children, youth and families to be physically active and make healthy food choices.
Mayor’s 5, 2, 1, 0 Fitness and Nutrition Challenge
Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is supporting the fight against childhood obesity with his 5, 2, 1, 0 Challenge for third graders in the city. The mayor visits third graders at each school in the city and challenges them to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, get no more than two hours of “screen time,” be physically active for at least one hour, and drink no sodas every day for three weeks. Students who complete the challenge in 21 straight days receive a Mayor’s gold coin. If students complete the challenge in 21 nonconsecutive days they receive a certificate. In addition, all students receive a class picture with Mayor Miyagishima and are encouraged to say no to drugs and alcohol and graduate from high school. For more information on the Mayor’s 5, 2, 1, 0 Challenge, contact Trey Williams at (575) 541-2192 or trwilliams@las-cruces.org.
Passport to Health
Passport to Health is a summer program designed to keep elementary school children active and learning during the summer vacation. Kids can pick up their passports at several locations around Las Cruces then visit one of the local partners to engage in a physical activity or learning experience for a stamp. Those who complete their passports can turn them in and be eligible for prizes at the end of the summer. For more information or to become a Passport to Health Partner please contact Gil Padilla at (575) 528-5111, Gilbert.Padilla@state.nm.us. Visit the following websites for the current information – www.lcps.k12.nm.us; www.library.las-cruces.org or www.healthynm.org.
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Reports
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Legislative Presentations:
NM LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE PRESENTATION
Delievered on July 17, 2008
U.S. Senate Committee On Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Delivered on Dec. 3, 2008
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Program Recognitions:
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HSC Foundation Report identifying 10 successful models for combating childhood obesity – recommending Regional Consortium, January, 2007.
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Newsletters:
Meeting Agendas:
Downloads:
Didactic Presentations:
National Links:
SOLVING THE PROBLEM
OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
WITHIN A GENERATION
White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity
Report to the President - May 2010 (PDF Download)
The United States National Physical Activity Plan Website
http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/
RWJ: Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit
http://www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org/content/view/352/161/
CDC Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5807a1.htm
CDC Implementation and Measurement Guide
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/community_strategies_guide.pdf
Surgeon General: Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf
New Mexico Links:
Healthy Kids New Mexico
NMDOH Obesity Data
Envision New Mexico
New Mexico Medical Society Clinical Prevention Initiative
New Mexico Healthier Weight Plan
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Contact Information:
Dawn Sanchez, Health Promotion Program Manager, (575) 528-5148; dawn.sanchez@state.nm.us
Patty Morris, Healthy Kids New Mexico Director, (505) 827-2520; patty.morris@state.nm.us
Yvonne Medina, Healthy Kids New Mexico, Southern New Mexico Health Educator, (575) 528-5175; yvonne.medina@state.nm.us
Ray Stewart, Director, Public Health Division, Region 5 Director, (575) 528-5174; ray.stewart@state.nm.us
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Initiative Key Partners:
  
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