The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation program staff led youth from our Prince George’s County PAL program through a Healthy Lifestyles clinic. This clinic was part of an event that unveiled their new fitness space and began their Healthy Lifestyles program.
Healthy Lifestyles helps youth each year struggling with multiple high-risk factors including obesity
and the lack of access to education on topics such as: healthy nutritional habits; the importance of physical fitness; and having an overall well-being strategy. Launched in 2018, the Healthy Lifestyles program initiative educates at-risk youth across the country about the importance of fitness and nutrition in their overall well-being. Maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle improves positive physical and mental outcomes in young children. To ensure the success of our program, the Ripken Foundation program team trains youth mentors to implement the Healthy Lifestyles curricula that consists of:
• Fitness Curriculum: Easy-to-use fitness activities for mentors to get kids to be active and play outside.
• Nutrition Curriculum: Helpful dietary tips and cooking activities for youth mentors to implement in a classroom setting.
These resources were created in partnership with renowned wellness trainer, Chris Welsh, CPT, CSNC and the Baltimore Orioles’ team nutritionist, Sue James, MS, RD, LDN. Each Healthy Lifestyles program site receives the following deliverables:
• Fitness and Nutrition curricula distributed to program site.
• One in-person program training focused on teaching mentors how to successfully implement the program.
• One youth event for our BGCAA and Spring Spirit partner organizations implementing the program led by the Ripken Foundation program staff.
• A cash grant to our program site partners to supplement the costs of the program.
• Robust fitness and nutrition equipment packages to be utilized by partner organizations to implement the program that may include: resistance bands, TRX suspension trainers, dumbbells, agility ladders, yoga mats, foam rollers, and more.
• Access to additional free resources on the Ripken Foundation’s online portal at www.ripkenfoundation.org/resource-portal.
The Healthy Lifestyles program educates, inspires, and gives young people access to the tools and resources to develop their own personal well-being strategies with the help of invested mentors who
understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.