People are Talking…
Kudos
“The kids had so much fun this week and the parents LOVE the handouts. It is amazing to get such good quality materials for a program like this… I think it really makes an impression on the kids. The lesson was a ton of fun. It reminded me a lot of the CD ‘Eating to the Beat’ the CD has a song called Sometimes and Everyday foods. I like the fact that the lesson focused on how no food is off limits, just some foods we should stop and think before we eat them.”
- Bridget Ideker, Olmsted County Medical Center
“The results of the design, implementation and evaluation of the Säjai Wise Kids® program suggest that the program has positive and significant impacts in areas that will lead youth to have better attitudes toward eating more healthy foods and engaging in physical activity. Ultimately, this can reduce the risk of gaining weight and having healthy problems associated with weight gain.”
- Dr. Keith Russell, Ph.D., Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies, University of Minnesota
“After each lesson our children go to lunch and compare what they have to eat for that day with their friends to determine who has the healthiest lunch.”
- Justin, Johnson County, FL
“The kids had a great time and that’s so rewarding. Our theme for the camp was “Discover and Explore” and each day they had the opportunity to discover and explore a new food. Probably 90-95 percent of the kids tried the new food every day! They tried dates, hummus, couscous, dried apricots, yogurt, rice cakes, bean dip, fried rice, egg rolls, pita chips and pita bread and raw zucchini. I’m sure most of their parents were amazed! It was such a perfect fit, and I really prefer the Säjai approach over the program we did last year. Thanks so much for all your work on this great program!”
- Shellie O’Quinn, Greenbrier, AR (Beta Site)
“The Blend program featuring the Wise Kids curriculum has been wonderful for our children. It has opened their eyes to the world of nutrition and their need to eat healthy and exercise to lead a healthy life. We are thankful to all those who made the program possible in our school.”
- Hugh Skaja, Principal, Lincoln Elementary School, St. Cloud, MN
“The (Wise Kids) program not only taught the children great eating habits, but also how to read labels on food products. The kids took real pride in sharing this information with their parents when buying food products. They started eating breakfast more and healthier snacks and continued their physical activities.”
- Susan Musgrove, After School Manager, Dallas Parks & Recreation, TX
“We had such an overwhelming response that we are studying how to expand our program to serve more youth.”
- Sue McAllister, Program Supervisor, City of Fort Lauderdale, FL
“One of the favorite activities that supplemented the week of “The Body” was an obstacle course. The campers raced through the course with a football that symbolized their oxygen, while others cheered on as they waited their turn. We also had a few parents report that their kids had a talk with them about food labels in the grocery store as their parents walked down the grocery aisles! It seems that they are really asking great questions about nutrition in general, which shows that the program has a positive effect on them; they’re processing the information as it relates to them and they are having fun doing so.”
- Sue McAllister, Program Supervisor, City of Fort Lauderdale, FL
“The Wise Kids program was a valuable addition to our outreach program. We followed the curriculum provided by Säjai and we were able to expose our kids to new experiences and ideas, which in turn gave them the confidence and ability to make healthier choices for themselves and their neighborhood.”
- Betsy Montgomery, Outreach Program Coordinator, Town of Leesburg Parks & Recreation, VA
“Introducing healthy snacks—garden salad, watermelon, veggie sticks and dip—was a great success. The kids loved it! We also implemented a sustainability component. We purchased reusable plates and flatware and will no longer use paper products for serving snacks. We are also looking into developing our own compost bin in the summer.”
- Emily Wolfe, Center Director, Webber Recreation Center, Minneapolis, MN
“The Wise Kids program was implemented in our three recreation centers during summer camp. The youth that attended learned healthy lifestyle skills in an interactive and fun environment. We were easily able to incorporate the Wise Kids program into our recreation based summer camp.“
- Jessica Cissel, Recreation Supervisor, City of National City Community Services Department, CA
“(Wise Kids) added so much value to our program this year as the school district offered a free breakfast program and we were able to integrate the lessons learned through a ‘hands-on healthy breakfast’. The Physical Education teachers were so excited to implement the Wise Kids Program as part of their summer curriculum. Activities were sent home which generated additional interest among parents. We will continue this program every summer!”
- Paula Kosko, Program Leader, Pemberton Township, NJ
“The Wise Kids program helped the children to understand and put into action what they have learned.”
- Karen Myers, Youth Program Supervisor, South Bend Parks & Recreation Department, IN
“The Wise Kids program taught the youngsters in a fun manner about smart eating and exercising that they could use throughout their lifetime, giving them a head start.”
- Patricia Patusky, Superintendent of Recreation, Stratford Recreation Department, CT
“The Wise Kids program has already made a real difference in our school district.”
- Cecelia Edmond, Wise Kids Supervisor, Milwaukee Recreation, WI
“After each lesson our children go to lunch and compare what they have to eat for that day with their friends to determine who has the healthiest lunch. Some of the children get so excited to see what they are eating is actually good for them. We did not prompt this action; it was natural for them after learning about the different food groups from the pyramid exercise. The program has been easy to follow and seems to work well with all of our age groups, kindergarten through fifth grade.”
- Justin Chesser, Johnson County, KS
“We believe that to help children develop healthier habits we need to present them with consistent messages. If they hear the same thing about nutrition and activity in their health or science class as they learn here after school, it will have a bigger impact. We are starting to realize that even though recreation is about play, we are actually able to play a major role in what kids learn. The recreation field needs this kind of partnership and this kind of curriculum.”
- Kathy Korum, Recreation Services Manager, St. Paul Parks & Recreation
“Like a lot of other agencies, we are recognizing the problems associated with obesity and inactivity and we’re trying to be much more deliberate about including physical activity in every program that we offer. Wise Kids gave us a really neat way to bring together nutrition and physical activity, and ultimately allowed us to measure how much the children absorbed.”
- Kathy Korum, Recreation Services Manager, St. Paul Parks & Recreation
“The Wise Kids curriculum is very easy to understand and use, and it is very adaptive. Our recreation leaders have little professional experience in the field of nutrition, but the training is easy to grasp, and the materials for the children are very colorful and age appropriate.”
- Kathy Korum, Recreation Services Manager, St. Paul Parks & Recreation
“We went through training on one day and we were ready to go. We had workbooks for each week’s topic that were interactive and very visual. Some of the kids had heard parts of this in school, but for others it was completely new. We had a lot of discussions about healthy eating and how to be physically active. At the end I think many of them understood that if they choose to eat a particular food or snack they should also expend that many calories in physical activity to balance it out. It is a simple concept that they all seemed to understand. I think my kids learned a lot from it.
- Holly Overton, Recreation Leader, St. Paul Parks & Recreation
“The Wise Kids project has been the most significant endeavor we have undertaken in our recreation centers. There is nothing more important than the health and wellness of our youngsters, in 2008 we will continue to run the program in the four pilot sites, and expand to five additional locations. We will also continue to work as a testing partner for ongoing program development with the Säjai Foundation.”
- Bob Bierscheid, Director of Parks and Recreation, St. Paul Parks & Recreation
Praise for Wise Kids® Two:
Need quotes
Praise for Wise Kids® Outdoors:
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program reinforced what children are being taught in school about recycling and eating healthy. The program also provided opportunities for kids to learn more about the environment around them through exploration and experimentation. The unique projects, like making a habitat for worms and feeding them daily, allowed the kids to have fun and learn at the same time.”
- RaNae Ball, Recreation Manager, Bismarck Parks & Recreation District, ND
“Our afterschool kids enjoyed that the Wise Kids Outdoors program exposed them to educational and fun activities that tie nature and fitness together. Some of our kids would not have otherwise been exposed to nature activities.”
- Bonnie Fitz, Programs Coordinator, Horry County Parks & Recreation, SC
“Through the fun and educational activities of the Wise Kids Outdoors program, our children are already exhibiting positive and healthy attitudes regarding food and activities — including the incorporation of outdoor activities. The children are starting to think about healthy vs. not-so-healthy food and activity choices, and not just about whether they ‘like’ something. Information is power, and we provide it in a fun and entertaining format.”
- Margaret Morin, Latchkey Program Manager, Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program was an extremely successful program that introduced a healthy lifestyle to our youth in a creative and fun way.”
- Brett Cermak, Recreation Supervisor, The Keller Pointe, TX
“Through Wise Kids Outdoors we were able to foster kids’ interest in healthy eating and living an active lifestyle, setting the foundation for a healthier future.”
- Sally Thomsen, Recreation Director, San Juan Island Park & Recreation District, WA
“The kids loved the Wise Kids Outdoors program. It was a great way for them to learn about nature and the healthy habits associated with outdoor activities. They also learned the value of being active outdoors.”
- Austin Pectol, Program Leader, City of Glendale G.R.A.S.P., AZ
“The program was a great way to implement additional wellness education into our programming. The children enjoyed the program and showed an interest in learning more about healthy eating and activity.”
- Jon Rupco, Recreation Assistant, Howard Leisure Services, Village of Howard, WI
“We could not believe the awesome level of creativity and excitement that built during Wise Kids Outdoors activities. The kids who attended our camp last summer were the luckiest kids in town.”
- Joyce Carroll, Program Supervisor, Iowa City Parks & Recreation, IA
“The Wise Kids Outdoors Program helped highlight topics the kids are already thinking about, such as recycling and walking or biking places. It also highlighted what we need to focus on, such as fruits and vegetables as appetizing foods and getting families more involved in outdoor play with their children. In any case, we got them playing outside more and thinking critically about their own health.”
- Maria Aucoin, Program Leader, City of Kenner Department of Parks & Recreation, TX
“The Wise Kids Outdoor Program taught our kids to be more observant of things in the outdoors including being more “green” and how play in the outdoors can be fun with friends and with family. They learned how to be more physically active and had a good time while learning!”
- Ellen Martin, Living Well Coordinator, South Suburban Parks & Recreation, Littleton, CO
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program at Camp OHCC helped opened the children’s eyes to outdoor experiences in their community and allowed them to gain a greater appreciation for nature and being a good steward.”
- Karen Mihalek, Camp OHCC Director, Onetta Harris Community Center, City of Menlo Park, CA
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program was an excellent addition to our summer camp, Operation Recreation. The program gave meaning and purpose to the importance of being outdoors. The kids enjoyed the hands-on lessons and the unique way of looking at the world we live in.”
- Jim Kluge, Recreation Supervisor, City of Neenah, WI
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program helped encourage the children to care about the world around them, to spend more time outdoors, and respect and protect the parks and outdoor spaces in the community. Many of the older children (8-9 years old) never realized before how much time they spent indoors when they love going outside to play.”
- Liane Knight, Superintendent, Oakbrook Terrace Park District, IL
“Wise Kids Outdoors was a great experience for the diverse culture of children we had participating this year. Most of the children showed great interest in learning more about being healthy and recycling because they had fun while learning.
- Jennifer Swann, Program Coordinator, Shelbyville Parks & Recreation Department, TN
“The Wise Kids Outdoors program provided our campers with hands-on opportunities to explore their natural surroundings in a safe and exciting way along with providing them with basic nutritional information that they could incorporate into their daily lives.”
- Jamie Baccari, Youth Program Coordinator, St. John’s County Recreation & Parks, FL
“The Wise Kids Outdoors curriculum really helped our kids advance their understanding and appreciation of nature in a way we think will ultimately lead to a change in attitude about the value of being physically active, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices.”
- Tiffany Schmidt, Summer Camp Director, Battle Creek Parks & Recreation, MI
“Our campers are really enjoying this. They are a VERY diverse group and they are very excited about it.”
- Kerri Miles, Kettering, Ohio (Beta site)
“The kids seem to be getting more and more excited to go outside as each mission passes.”
- Bev Wittgenstein, St. Paul, MN (Beta)
“The training and learning materials allow our staff to confidentily lead the missions, even when they didn’t have an outdoor-learning background.”
- Bob Bierscheid, St. Paul, MN (Beta)
“I thoroughly enjoyed each mission and the notebooks that came along with them. The instructor notebook was very easy to follow and easy to implement each mission.”
- Program Leader (Beta)
“When the Wise Kids Outdoors program is implemented with fidelity by staff who demonstrates a commitment to both the youth whom they serve and the overall program objectives, there is great potential to impact youth in a variety of areas connected to the concept of wellness and outdoors.”
- T. Grant Lewis, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Minnesota
“The kit that you sent to us was well laid out by the experts and the materials were easy to understand and very user friendly.”
- Sue McAllister, Program Supervisor, City of Fort Lauderdale, FL
“Before I thought healthy stuff wasn’t good but when I came to Wise Kids I changed and I eat more healthy stuff. My favorite thing we did was when we went outside and catched bugs. The new thing I learned was that the earth needs to be in balance. And now I’m going to be outside in the sun and get my vitamin D.”
- Excerpt from child essay from Summer 2009
“I told my grandparents and aunt that a lot of sugar is bad for you and I learned that water is really good for you. It has no sugar. But some of the sodas have a lot of sugar. And I learned that I should eat my fruits and vegetables because they are healthy and I can drink milk too because that’s healthy and it has a lot of calcium.”
- Excerpt from child essay from Summer 2009
“Before Wise Kids, I was never thinking about the outdoors.”
- Excerpt from child essay from Summer 2009
“(We) love this program. We’re learning just as much as the kids, and it’s proven to be a great experience. The kids came up with great activities as an extension of the missions in the book. For example, on the recycling mission, they turned the activity into a relay race. It’s amazing how much they’re retaining.”
- Jordanne Start, St. John’s County, FL
Other Quotes:
“The dinner and slide show was a fun way for the kids (and their families) to see all the great things they learned through the 9-week program.”
- Robin DiMona, Johnson City, TN- Ran Wise Kids Fall 2008 and ended their program with a family night dinner/slide show
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