100 Citizens: Role Models for the Future
WINNER: Popular Choice Award
“100 Citizens: Role Models for the Future” reflects what our collaborative group, City of San Fernando Partnership for Healthy Families believes; ending childhood obesity within a generation begins at home with the family. We have to work with the adults, the parents and grandparents to establish a healthier lifestyle so they can teach their children how to be physically active and eat healthier. Our children can’t do it on their own. There is no better way to have our adults understand than by being involved and feel the difference it makes in their lives. They become the role models. We do this through free physical activity programming and culturally appropriate nutrition demonstrations. It has worked. The 100 Citizens program, a fitness workout in the city’s public park, has run continuously since June 2011 with exercise stations staffed by Kinesiology student volunteers educated in the delivery and benefits of physical activity. The program now includes Zumba, body sculpting, seniors, and cycle spinning which the parks charge a small fee to help program expansion. HOWEVER, the basic fitness class always will be a popular free option. The Partnership resonates with the citizens because they understand the city cares to bring education and outside resources to help them live healthier lives and transmit this to their children. The public park is free and the activity is visible which is the best marketing … people moving, the class costs nothing and most importantly, the kids see adults having fun being active. 100 Citizens is contagious. 24 Hour Fitness donated 40 spinning bikes because they recognize the value being offered and wanted to make their contribution. 100 Citizens is replicable having spawned 4 more free 100 Citizens programs serving as role models for the future. They’re teaching their kids!
177 comments
Steven Loy • about 14 years ago
CSUN students can help by volunteering at the SRC from 5-8pm, M-F. Come to the front entrance. It will be obvious. Introduce yourself to the students and ask, how can I help. See you there!
Grace Ercolono • about 14 years ago
Go Csun!!! Making a difference
ricky ocampo • about 14 years ago
Seeing what the 100 citizens achieved over the year has brought an excitement for everyone to work out and stop the rise on childhood obesity. It truly does start with the family and I know that this program will win!
Lets put this on the map to success! We KIN do this!
jessica ramos • about 14 years ago
This program will be beneficial to not only childhood obesity but to the general population. I cant wait to see the program grow. Lets keep speaking in faith that it will happen because when we believe we will see
Cathleen Fager • about 14 years ago
Dr. Loy is the most inspirational advocate for healthy eating and exercise that I have ever encountered. The awesome Kinesiology students at CSUN offer a free after-work exercise program for staff and faculty, and Steven Loy is there every day challenging us to "EXPAND OUR WORLD", just like he does through his 100 Citizens program. These opportunities can spread across communities and the nation. GO Dr. Loy, and CSUN KIneseology students! We all KIN do it!
Diane Haro • about 14 years ago
"Lets Move!" Vote daily, and pass the word to friends, family, neighbors, etc....every vote counts. SF newspaper(Thrus.) did a wonderful artical on the "100 Citizens-Role Model for the Future", lets expand this program though-out the States! Thanks Dr. Loy and CSUN Kinesiology students for making it possible. Let's send Dr. Loy to Washington DC to represent!!!!
Jonathan Lubag • about 14 years ago
I tried to spread this message to the gaming community. I wonder if it works?
Lynn Garcia • about 14 years ago
spread the word!!!! go CSUN!!!
Carol Martinez • about 14 years ago
This program is amazing!! This is where I dedicated my summer and fall semester; I don't regret it one bit. I am even considering going into public health because Kinesiology/physical activity really can make a difference! I've seen it myself! ... Keep it up!! We KIN do it!
Renee Moreno • about 14 years ago
Great program, great people!
Margaret Ferrante • about 14 years ago
As a CSUN Alumni and a Medical Doctor, I applaud and support this effort!
Vincent Villalon • about 14 years ago
Lets keep on VOTING!!! Remember... every vote does count!
Leora Gabay • about 14 years ago
CSUN STUDENTS: We can get the numbers higher! You go to CSUN, right? You are going to get a degree from CSUN, right? When employers see you graduated from CSUN especially from a nationally recognized program, you are put up there! Spread the love!
Sandy Nguyen • about 14 years ago
100 Citizens Project.**** CSUN-Kinesiology Northridge message is "We Kin Do it" Make sure to help contribute to the voting! :) thanks everyone for your support.
Z Irani • about 14 years ago
If you want to talk about a REAL solution to a REAL problem (which is a generation of sedentary, obese, unhealthy people), then this is the video that should win. This offers the ONLY true mass-scale solution to a national crisis. And the best thing of all, at LOW-COST virtually, NO COST.
It COMPLETELY emulates what the Let's Move campaign stands for. Honestly.
Jonathan Lubag • about 14 years ago
You know I read this somewhere on the internet that if you think something good will happen the opposite happens. So if I think that we will have less votes the opposite will happen. This means that we will have more votes just to prove me wrong.
Julie Sletten • about 14 years ago
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead
Merril Simon • about 14 years ago
That's right, Julie S! Perfect quote for this contest. Kudos to Dr. Loy and all the intern volunteers as well as the community members who trusted them to keep coming back to the park even when it was hard to do so.
Jerry Haro • about 14 years ago
Just "Believe, and we KIN Achieve!"
Maria Barajas • about 14 years ago
its being very beneficial to me because, it help me to lower my cholesterol. now I'm more active and I lose weight.
Maria B.
Diane Haro • about 14 years ago
"Dream YOUR Goal, and it KIN Happen!"
Mike Wong • about 14 years ago
Richard,
Childrens' options in terms of physical activity and nutrition intake are severely dependent on their parents and/or guardians. While you may not directly see the impact this has towards children, the result can be traced back to the consistent healthy behavior patterns they practice. As the children continue to grow and mature these habits have the potential to affect them for an entire lifetime.
So while organizations and communities focus on working with the children personally, we work towards building a better environment for the children. An environment that fosters physical activity and conscience nutritional intake. Our results are less measureable but no less profound.
Also I will disagree with your opinion regarding how replicable this program can be. This program has already been run in several other parks in underserved areas of Los Angeles. By utilizing Kinesiology educated students from virtually any university, the program can be set up with the collaboration of the parks.
Thank you for taking the time to view our video and commenting.
Steven Loy • about 14 years ago
You make a great point Richard. The beauty of 100 Citizens is that it is can be scaled up in a variety of directions customized to the community's needs. Our bigger vision is to have 100 Citizens programs emanate across the country out of Kinesiology Deparatrments which are in every state. Within each of those departments are students trained in a variety of options including physical education which can specifically address your primary concern.
As we have entered a time when PE programs and instructors are at an all time low, there needs to be options for delivering the knowledge and education they possess and this is the purpose of 100 Citizens. While not a structured PE in the schools class, it is very complementary and what better way for everyone to recognize the importance of PE in the schools than to see more kids moving in the parks and say, we need this back in the schools where EVERY child receives these experiences! What we have highlighted is that our undergraduate students are more than capable of delivering information and education BEFORE they graduate which allows for much GREATER numbers of communities being served. The community service is not dependent SOLELY on locations where there are paid employees but it can occur in free public parks surrounding all of those universities and spead from there.
Having said this, another objective is job creation because there needs to be park supervisors who can work with this influx of volunteer students who are capable of delivering programs to participants at no charge. And, it becomes possible to hire supervisors who now have a large staff to deliver programs ... a staff they didn't have and could not afford. What this then leads to is the ability to create additional programs for which some can be charged a fee and that will create more job opportunities and more people, including our children, being served.
It starts with 100 Citizens ... a program that will always be free in San Fernando and that is the program we profess to spread across the country. There needs to be an entrance or introduction program. And, we fully recognize 100 Citizens can be kids as well as adults and so if that is the biggest need that a community desires, then we can build that also ... BUT, we would maintain, that in addition to the physical activity and education, they do need the role modeling and the opportunity to eat better choices at home. This we believe!
No one program can initially solve all the problems ... our stand is, we start at home with the family and with America's knowledge that this kind of program is possible, the opportunity to expand programs becomes limitless! It will not take a very long time ... we scaled up to two additional parks in 4 weeks and now LA County and Pasadena are each funding 2 more programs, purchasing the equipment and paying our student leaders who will still be assisted by the undergraduate students who have proved themselves to be so so capable at making a difference in the health and wellness of our community.
Thanks for your thoughts. Again, points well made and capable of being addressed by 100 Citizens ... one community at a time across the country ... from university Kinesiology programs in every state. Together, we can make a difference. This is one more step ... but it's a HUGE step forward.
Erin Calderone • about 14 years ago
I would like to add/respond to the previous 2 comments by Richard M and Mike W.
The family role in health, fitness and obesity prevention cannot be underestimated. As an example, my Master's thesis was a program somewhat similar in design to 100 citizens, and in the same city, but marketed to adolescents at the local high school. (This program was called SF Fuerte - which translates to San Fernando Strong.) Although the local high school was large, and high interest rates were generated during recruitment, there were low attendance rates by teens from the high school during the program. In fact, most of the regular participants in the program and those who attended most frequently were the CHILDREN of participants in the 100 citizens program!! Because the parents of these children had been participating in the 100 citizens program, they realized the health benefits exercise and proper nutrition would have for their children and they BROUGHT THEIR CHILDREN to SF Fuerte! Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the SF Fuerte program had to end once school was back in session, but I would suggest that there really is no limit to the effect of 100 Citizens. Many of the parents who participate in 100 Citizens may bring their children to the park while they're working out, and additionally will encourage them to become more active during the day and eat better. After all, parents are possibly the biggest influence when it comes to nutrition, helping to make healthy foods the norm in their households, teach their children the principles of healthy nutrition, and be in charge of either packing them lunches or giving them lunch money. The inclusion of the entire family and community in making healthy decisions eventually can create a health-minded culture.
These types of programs could be replicated around any college, university or educational center that offers Kinesiology education. When you think about how many colleges and universities there are (even just in the state of CA not to mention across the U.S.) it almost begs the question - why isn't this going on in full force already? Kinesiology departments possess the information, skill and people - the surrounding communities have the need. 100 Citizens is bridging the gap between resource and need and thereby changing lives and communities.
Mike Wong • about 14 years ago
Richard,
You may have misinterpreted Erin's SF Fuerte program. It was an actual program that lasted a summer. While it is great to be working directly with kids in addressing the childhood obesity epidemic it is not the only way. By working with the families, our partnership fills a niche. A niche that was created because many other programs and organizations provided the former.
In regards to expanding the program, most people do not know what Kinesiology is. However Kinesiology goes by various names yet has a similar curriculum. The scope of the content spans an immense field outside of just sport, exercise, and the allied health fields. To reference to Dr. Loy's previous comment this program leads to job creation. A job open for a Kinesiology educated individual will further diversify Kinesiology's career outlets and attract Kinesiology minded people to the job, not the other way around.
Again thank you for the comments and it seems like you have certainly taken the time and effort to to understand each of the programs and organizations in this challenge.