An educator's guide to 24/7 Let's Go!

Using 24/7 Let's Go! in the classroom

As you know all too well, more and more American children are becoming obese. Overweight children are more likely to develop serious health problems, including coronary disease and respiratory illness.

24/7 Let's Go! was developed by the NYSUT Health Care Professionals Council to help teachers, school nurses and health care professionals start to address this national crisis in a fun and exciting way. The goal is to get young students to take 7 positive steps a day, and track their progress by earning stickers to be placed on a chart. The chart has a list of 24 ideas for 24/7 Let's Go!

24/7 Let's Go! is targeted for use in a school setting, by classroom and physical education teachers, or school nurses. Of course, health care professionals and others who work with children should use 24/7 Let's Go! to encourage the children they come in contact with to build healthier lifestyles.

24/7 Let's Go! is not a calorie counting or weight loss contest. No student should be singled out because of a problem with obesity.

Every child should be encouraged to participate. The idea is to make good health habits fun so they actually become habits.

A few suggestions for using 24/7 Let's Go! in the classroom:

• Make 24/7 a class project. Set a class goal for stickers earned in a month, and then celebrate with a class party with healthy snacks.
• Incorporate 24/7 into creative writing assignments. Have students keep a journal of their 24/7 activities.
• Don't make 24/7 an individual contest. Class teams can challenge each other to earn the most stickers. Create new games to help students earn more stickers.
• Keep a chart tracking how well classes do in a prominent place.
• Encourage the students to make 24/7 a team effort. If they share a healthy snack with a classmate, or do an activity with fellow students, they can earn double stickers.
• Take little steps. Kids can't change a lifetime of sedentary activity and bad eating habits overnight.
• Be positive. Start out 24/7 as a one-month project, and then assess how well it's worked. The kids will be a good barometer.

As educators and health care professionals, we have a responsibility to help children build healthier minds and bodies. 24/7 Let's Go! is one way we can make that happen.