A Houston/Harris County Childhood Obesity Prevention Collaborative 
May 2016  /  Issue No. 42   
In This Issue



  Follow us on Twitter        Like us on Facebook  
 

Contact us:

Phone:
713-439-6118


New Trails and Greenspace Coming to Kashmere Gardensflood

Plans for a new trail and parkland along Hunting Bayou are underway! This new segment of the Huntington Bayou Greenway will include a concrete trail to replace the asphalt trail starting from Mickey Leland Memorial Park to Falls Street, as well as a new concrete trail stretching from Falls Street to in-between Pickfair Street and Lockwood Drive. Plans also include new pocket parks along the trail route, which flows through Kashmere Gardens, an HLM priority community.   



Projects like this one support HLM Policy Priority P1- Support
the devel opment and adoption of "Safe Neighborhoods", which includes ongoing development of safe trails and parks such as the Bayou Greenway 2020 Project and Utility Corridor improvements.

The non-profit Houston Parks Board, in collaboration with the Houston Parks & Recreation Department, and the Texas Department of Transportation, are designing and building the trail and greenspace along Hunting Bayou. This project is part of Bayou Greenways 2020, which is an initiative to create a continuous park system along Houston's major waterways.

For questions about this project, contact info@houstonparksboard.org or visit http://houstonparksboard.org/bayou-greenways-2020.   
Local School District Going Strong with Wellness Recognition Program WATCH 

Since 2012 Fort Bend ISD, with support from the Fort Bend Medical Society Alliance, has provided campuses the opportunity to apply for the WATCH Your Wellness award. WATCH, which stands for Weight, Activity, Tobacco, Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure, is the district's recognition program for schools that are creating an atmosphere conducive to wellness by completing three of five health-related criteria  (e.g. developing a Campus Wellness Committee). Initiatives like WATCH support HLM Policy Area L3 - Establish state, city, and/or county healthy schools and healthy child care recognition programs with a training component.

Staff of Juan Seguin Elementary School receiving their WATCH award banner.  

During the program's pilot year, the district designated 15 schools as a "WATCH Recognized Wellness Campus." Now in its fourth year, the program is continually growing and 25 campuses were recognized for the 2015-2016 school year. For questions about WATCH, please contact Stephanie Kellam, Coordinator of Health and PE.

For districts that don't offer wellness recognition programs at this time, all schools can participate in the national HealthierUS School Challenge, a voluntary certification initiative. 
Registration Now Open for the It's Time Texas Summit!  ITTSummit

The It's Time Texas Summit is an annual event that unites the state's top thought leaders and health champions to discuss the health of Texans, share best practices in community health, and form transformational cross-sector partnerships.



Join It's Time Texas and learn from interactive panel discussions, a community health symposium, an expo with 60+ businesses and organizations, and sessions for five audience tracks: healthcare, school, workplace, community, and media + technology.

Event Details
Where: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
When: Monday & Tuesday, August 1st & 2nd, 2016
Summit Website: www.itstimesummit.com

For event updates and details regarding presenters, follow It's Time Texas on Facebook or Twitter. To learn more about It's Time Texas, visit itstimetexas.org.
Texas Health Champion Award - Apply Now!TXHealthChamp
 
The Texas Health Champion Award is presented to public health leaders who have demonstrated exemplary achievement in reducing the burden or raising awareness of the obesity epidemic in Texas.  Nominees considered for the award may be individuals, organizations, or project teams from community organizations, educational agencies, non-profit organizations, or government offices.  For more information go to texasobesityweek.org

 
Featured Resource: Texas Children in Nature (TCiN ROCKS!)FeaturedResource 

TCiN ROCKS! is dedicated to connecting kids and families with nature to be healthier and happier.  Research shows that when kids learn and play in nature they are healthier both mentally and physically, do better in school, are better problem solvers and are more creative.  TCiN has made finding near-by nature easier than ever with their website www.NatureRocksTexas.org.  This website lists the nature-based activities, parks, zoos and nature centers in a region where families can play, explore and connect with nature.  
UPCOMING EVENTS Events
  
Webinar: Building Health & Well-Being: Lessons Learned from Transformative Partnerships
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 from 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
More information

National Trails Day
Saturday, June 4, 2016
More information

Cities Changing Diabetes Town Hall
Thursday, June 16, 2016 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Houston City Hall, Legacy Room, 901 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002
For more information or to RSVP , click here .

HLM-Pasadena Community Task Force Meeting
Thursday, June 16, 2016 from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Pasadena City Hall, 1211 Southmore Blvd, Pasadena, TX 77502
For more information contact Katie Chennisi at cchennisi@hcphes.org

To view more events, visit our Calendar of Events webpage