Western Students Launch Fitness and Nutrition Program

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The WHAT! planning team included Western Horizon Council student members (back row from l.) Ryan Clifford of Glenelg High School, Marie Pines and Mack Schwarz of Marriotts Ridge High School, Mark LaPointe of River Hill High School, (front row from l.) Leah Allen of Glenelg High School, Sydney Morales of Marriotts Ridge High School, Foluke Tuakli and Chloe Jefferson of River Hill High School.

Students on the Western Horizon Council are ready to launch WHAT!, a pilot program bringing teens together for physical activity and information on health and nutrition.

WHAT! (Western Horizon’s Active Teens) is a 6-session program starting March 23, at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center in Glenwood. Twenty students each will come from Glenelg, Marriotts Ridge and River Hill High Schools to play dodge ball, have a healthy snack and get a brief lesson about the benefits of fitness and good nutrition.

The program was developed by the student members of the Western Horizon Council with the support of Council coordinator Cathy Smith and Howard County Recreation and Parks Department representatives Holly Harden and Summer Filia. Filia is Director of the Gary J. Arthur Community Center, which is a partner in the pilot program. Funding is being provided by The Horizon Foundation to cover the cost of bus service for the students and other expenses. Students will each pay $10 to participate.

Western Horizon Council student members (from l.) Ryan Clifford of Glenelg High School and Mack Schwarz of Marriotts Ridge High School talk to Horizon Council coordinator Cathy Smith after a preview of “What color is your pee?”, one of the lessons planned for WHAT! participants.

The Western Horizon Council is made up of people who live, work or go to school in the Western part of the county. It is one of four geographic-based citizen advisory groups that offer counsel and recommendations to the Horizon Foundation about issues of concern to their communities.

The Horizon Foundation is Howard County’s largest philanthropy. Its mission is to improve the health and wellness of those living and working in Howard County by implementing innovative programs focusing on intervention, prevention, health education and maintenance, conducting planning initiatives, participating in public policy activism, grantmaking and strategic partnerships with others. Its current initiatives include implementing strategies to improve healthful eating, physical activity and other positive lifestyle changes, and responding to the language translation needs of local healthcare consumers.

For more information contact:

Jean Moon & Associates
410-730-0316
jeanmoon@verizon.net