Hip To Be Fit
In October 2004, National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM) received a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) to develop fitness and nutrition curricula for elementary school teachers and students, and to measure the impact of its programs on the physical health and well-being of its students. Working with classroom teachers and administrators, university faculty and NDI-NM staff, HIP (Health Initiative Plan) to Be Fit® was born!
The children of this country are currently facing a health crisis that is directly linked to their lack of physical exercise. Obesity and diabetes rates are alarmingly high. NDI-NM's HIP to Be Fit® gives teachers, students and families the tools to reverse these trends and help ensure that New Mexico's children grow up healthy and successful.
There are three components to NDI-NM's HIP to Be Fit® Project:
- Train the Trainer, through workshops and training materials, gives public elementary school teachers the tools and training to incorporate movement into their classrooms. It also gives participants the skills and confidence to use kinesthetic teaching methods that improve classroom learning. Tied to New Mexico State Education, PE and Dance Standards, this curriculum is designed to get kids moving while teaching them core curriculum.
In the 2010-20011 school year, our Train the Trainer workshops will teach 270 public school teachers and health educators how to incorporate physical activity into their classes. To date, NDI-NM has trained 1,240 teachers, administrators, health educators and therapists.
- SNACK (Student Nutrition Activity Curriculum for Kids) brings nutrition and fitness curriculum and resources directly into the classroom. SNACK includes ten nutrition-based activities to do in the classroom and at home with family, along with basic nutrition information, a nutrition resource guide, easy-to-fix healthy snack recipes; snack, activity, and food logs. In conjunction with this curriculum, NDI-NM instructors bring nutrition messages into the NDI-NM curriculum.
- A Fitness Evaluation assessed the positive impact of NDI-NM's dance programs on improving fitness and meeting state PE standards in children who participate in NDI-NM classes throughout New Mexico.
For more information, contact Barbara Kastner at 505 983-7646 x 124.