Posted: 6/13/2016
Educational, exercise activities focus on building healthy lives
Staying active, physically and mentally, is just as important for children during the summer as it is the rest of the year.
That’s the goal of Camp CHAMPS, an annual event of Parkland in partnership with several organizations throughout Dallas County. Camp CHAMPS stands for Choosing Healthy Activities, Meals and Positive Self-Esteem, and begins June 13. It is open to children ages 7 to 16.
“Camp CHAMPS is a great way for girls and boys to learn about positive and healthy habits – all in a fun and entertaining way,” said Jeff Howard, Parkland community development specialist. “The main focus of Camp CHAMPs is helping kids learn healthy behaviors, from exercise to nutrition and life skills. They learn through different activities and games so it’s a lot of fun, as well. You can never start too early to teach kids about making good choices.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17 percent, or about 12.7 million children ages 2 to 19 are obese. Among the factors in childhood obesity is education and household income levels. Childhood obesity can lead to serious health problems later in life, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Camp CHAMPS brings in Parkland physicians, educators, social workers and dietitians to provide the valuable educational activities and services. During the four-day camp, each day is dedicated to teaching a different element of a healthy lifestyle. The campers rotate through four classes that focus on health, nutrition, self-esteem and physical exercise. Children also will be screened and evaluated by physicians and nurses for any previously undetected conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, high body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure.
Each day’s activities are structured to give the program a camp-like atmosphere and last from 8 a.m. to noon. The program is offered at no cost thanks to a generous grant from the Children’s Health Fund, an organization dedicated to providing healthcare for the most medically underserved children in the country. All classes are offered in both English and Spanish.
“Parents are encouraged to attend with their children,” Howard said. “Parental involvement increases the likelihood that children will incorporate the changes into their lifestyle.”
In fact, while children are engaged in their activities, Parkland community educators conduct informal classes with parents to help them understand the importance of these healthy choices.
For Starlet Ramirez and two of her children, Camp CHAMPS is a summer tradition. This will be the third consecutive year that 8-year-old Jasmin and 12-year-old Destany will take part in the camp’s activities.
“It’s something they look forward to each year,” Ramirez said. “I like the way the camp is hands on, and they gear everything for kids at their level. And they keep track of how much the kids have improved from year-to-year.”
Ramirez said her daughters are often eager to bring what they learn at camp into their home. One of the girls wanted to try eating hummus instead of chips, and the other wanted to make kale the way they had at camp. And, each year they insist on getting a flu shot because they learned at Camp CHAMPS how important it is to get the flu vaccination.
This year the camps will be held:
- June 20-23 at the Salvation Army, Pleasant Grove, 8341 Elam Road, Dallas, 75217
- July 5-8 at Santa Clara Regional Community Center, 321 Calumet Ave., Dallas, 75211
- July 11-14 at Voice of Hope, 4120 Gentry Drive, Dallas, 75212
- July 18-21 at Charley Taylor Recreation Center, 601 E. Grand Prairie Road, Grand Prairie, 75051
For more information or to pre-register, contact Jeff Howard at 214.266.1120 or Jeffrey.Howard@phhs.org. For more information about Parkland's events,see our community calendar.