Let's Move! The First Lady Promotes her Program in Baltimore

The First Lady recently made an appearance in Baltimore, at a baseball clinic to reiterate the importance of her “Let’s Move” campaign. Currently there are 30 baseball players that have agreed to be a part of her public service ad campaign, as well as members from the Boys & Girls Club, and the Major League Baseball RBI program.

Mrs. Obama’s message is about how important it is for children to get enough exercise and eat healthy, in order to end childhood obesity. As a part of this initiative, she has invited parents, teachers, mayors, governors and athletes to join her mission. Her campaign has four main aspects: 1) for companies to provide healthier foods to young people, 2) to persuade schools to make healthier food available, 3) to bring healthy and affordable food to families and communities, and lastly 4) to get young people moving! The goal is approximately 60 minutes of exercise and play time a day.

Mrs. Obama also pointed out that one key aspect of pro athletes is that they are always on the move, hence why they are such great players. She adds that there are numerous organizations ready to assist young people so that they can also move and eat healthy.

This summer, Mrs. Obama brought together her support for service and her Let’s Move campaign in the 2010 United We Serve initiative. United We Serve is an initiative that was started by President Obama that promotes community service and volunteer work as a way of coming together. There are multiple programs that are encompassed by United We Serve, including Let’s Read. Let’s Move, Mrs. Obama’s initiative.

At ICP, our Summer of Service Program focuses on engaging young people during the summer as well. ICP promotes the participation of young people in service activities during the summer in order to prevent risky behavior, reduce dropout rates, and prevent academic decline when students are out of school during the summer months. Being a part of these service activities can lead to better communication skills, avoidance of risky behaviors and strengthening community connections. Aside from improving the lives of others through community service, young people are also improving their own lives, and becoming more in touch with their community.

There are many different opportunities within Summer of Service (SOS), some of the following programs are just a few examples of the many organizations involved with SOS: including ManaTEENS, Earth Force, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Heads Up, Citizen Schools and the YMCA Earth Service Corps. And many of these organizations are providing opportunities for young people to be outside and active during the summer months. For more organizations, or to get a full look at Summer of Service, you can check out ICP’s SOS Resource center.

There are many ways for young people to stay engaged during the summer months, and there are numerous organizations working hard to ensure this. The First Lady is fighting to stop childhood obesity and to combat bad eating habits, while Summer of Service is seeks to engage young people in their communities during the summer while enabling them to build skills to be successful in school and beyond.

What are you doing to remain engaged this summer, or to keep young people around you active and engaged in their communities?

photo courtesy of: John Lustig