Internet Resources

Created for the Plymouth Public Schools Health Advisory Committee 2006 The following resource guide is a summary of resources for families and children interested in improved health through fitness, nutrition and lifestyle changes in the Plymouth area. The School Health Advisory Committee does not indorse any specific program. For additions to this guide, please contact mmcettrick@plymouth.k12.ma.us Updated: 5/24/06 Community Programs Boys and Girls Club, Plymouth www.bgcplymouth.org 9 Resnik Road Plymouth, MA 02360 508-746-6070 The Club provides diverse activities that meet the interests of all youth. Club programs and Core programs engage young people in activities with adults and peers that enable them to develop self-esteem and to reach their full potential. Based on the needs and interests of our youth, the club offers a variety of programs both fee-based and free in five core areas. The core areas include: Character and Leadership Development, Education and Career Development, Health and Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness, and Recreation. Gymboree Play and Music www.playandmusic.com Gymboree of Plymouth 91 Carver Road Plymouth, MA 02360 781-843-1753 Pembrok Brick Kiln Place 781-826-3665 31 Schoosett Street(Rt 139) Pembrok, MA 02360 Gymboree’s philosophy focuses on the whole child in order to help children acquire the key ingredients--motor skills, social skills and self-esteem--they need to grow up to be confident, happy and successful adults. They offer programs from birth to 5 years old which include independent as well as parent involved activities. Through the 5 health-related components of physical fitness--cardio, strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition, they explore fun new fitness activities. This class helps children build strong, healthy bodies and minds and promotes a positive attitude toward physical fitness. They'll also have an opportunity to learn social skills as they interact and have fun with peers. Kingsbury Club www.kingsburyclub.com 781-585-3883 A family focused facility offering numerous youth programs. They offer a fit ball class for 6-9 year olds, cardio muscle class for 10-13 year olds and cardio spin classes for 58‖ or taller. Girls enjoy the cheerleading and dance classes and boys like the strength and conditioning classes/ instruction. The club also offers all levels of swim instruction and their own swim team as well as numerous camps for kids in the summer (tennis, swimming, fitness). All classes ore open to member, but some are available to non members My Gym Children’s Fitness Center www.my-gym.com Kingsbury Square Plaza 182 Summer St. Kingston, MA 02364 781-582-2255 My Gym has created an extraordinary program and facility devised to help children three months to nine years of age develop physically, cognitively and emotionally. My Gym offers structured, age-appropriate weekly classes that incorporate music, dance, relays, games, special rides, gymnastics, sports and other original activities. My Gym’s goal is for kids to have fun as they gain strength, balance, coordination, fine and gross motor proficiency, agility, flexibility and social skills. My Gym is a non competitive facility that focuses on building confidence and self-esteem. Plymouth Fitness www.plymouthfitness.com 508-746-7448 16 Aldrin Road Plymouth, MA 02360 Full fitness facility that includes fitness classes, weight training and a swimming pool. There are numerous classes for all age children as well as one on one fitness training available. Programs include Kids Dance Fitness and Fit Kids. Plymouth Fitness honors many healthcare partner programs; (Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Fitness Network, TUFTS Health Plan Fitness, BC/BS Fitness Rewards Program, Jordan Hospital, IHRSA Passport Program) Town of Plymouth Recreation Department www.plymouthrec.com 11 Lincoln Street (Town Hall) Plymouth, MA 02360 508-747-1620 x137 A variety of programs and events for individuals of all ages and abilities, including: Preschool, youth, special needs and adults. Information also available for Plymouth Sports Leagues contacts. YMCA Wareham 508-295-9622 www.ymcasouthcoast.org Gleason Family YMCA 33 Charge Pond Road/ PO Box 466 Wareham, MA 02571 Opened in August 2004, offering programs for youth, families and people of all ages. Facilities include a swimming pool, group exercise room, computer lab, youth center and a newly expanded wellness room. The facility also includes a 3 story climbing wall, outdoor ropes course, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, skate park and a playground. Some examples of the youth programs include all kinds of aquatic activities for 3 year olds to teens, Dodge ball league, Volleyball, Karate, Basketball league, dance/ jazz/cheerleading for girls and Fit Station Exercise equipment which is specially designed for kids sizes age 716. The YMCA offers teen nights every other Saturday from 6-9pm for youth 12-17. CURVES Fitness Plymouth: 36 Cordage Park, Suite 114, Plymouth 508-732-9797 Wareham: 3222 Cranberry Highway, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 508-743-9986 Bourne: 180 State Road, 3A Unit 34, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562 508-833-6626 Circuit training for women and young women 14 years and older. Specialty Programs Geared toward Overweight Children RHCI Fit to be Kids www.rhci.org (visit the pediatric section) Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands 311 Service Road East Sandwich, MA 02537 Fit to be Kids is a weight management program is an 8 week outpatient program for children 6-16 years old. It emphasizes progressive exercise, nutrition education, counseling to promote changes in behavior and lifestyle, and the ongoing assessment of the child’s emotional and social adjustment. The exercise component includes cardiovascular and strength training. Kids will also be introduced to different kinds of exercise, like karate, hiking, biking and basketball. The whole key to success is creating exercise habits they can continue for life. Fit to be Kids is a self pay program with a sliding fee for qualified families. Referrals may be made form a physician, school nurse, family member or friend. 508-833-4110 South Shore Hospital Rehab Center South Shore Hospital 55 Fogg Road South Weymouth, MA 02190 781-340-8143 Children’s Conditioning Program is a land and pool based program designed for children between the ages of 6 and 12 who are trying to improve coordination and aerobic conditioning. The class is led by a clinical exercise physiologist and meet twice per week for 5 weeks. Teen Fitness Program is a gym based exercise program designed for teens between the ages of 13 and 16 to improve overall fitness, increase cardiovascular tolerance and increase lean body mass. This class meets twice per week throughout the year. A physician’s medical clearance is required for both programs and this is a self pay program. Optimal Weight For Life Program (OWL) www.childrenshospital.org Children’s Hospital 300 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02115 617-355-5159 The OWL program is a multi-disciplinary program dedicated to the care of overweight children and their families. OWL combines dietary modification and physical therapy with behavior therapy in an individualized fashion. Emphasis is on family based intervention with success measured by overall improved nutrition and physical activity along with weight loss. Children are accepted into the program from early childhood to late adolescents. Referrals from a physician are more likely to be covered by insurance (if the particular insurance covers obesity treatment), but self referrals are accepted. One Step Ahead Program Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center One Step Ahead Program is designed to teach kids and families healthy lifestyle habits that they can incorporate into their day-to-day life. This program is available to use the Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center. A team of professionals including a Pediatrician, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dietitian, Social Worker and a Physical Activities Coordinator provide support and education. Topics include healthy eating plans for families, specific information about physical activity and ways to incorporate it into daily activities and medical assessments. Emphasis on health and disease prevention. Insurance coverage available. MGH Weight Center Massachusetts General Hospital 100 Charles River Plaza 5th Floor Boston, MA 02214 617-726-4400 This is a multi-disciplinary program for children 4-18 years of age. The team includes a physician, dietitian and a psychologist who designs a program to meet each child’s unique needs. Referrals are made by physicians and insurance generally covers the initial consultation. OutPatient Nutrition Counseling Services Brockton Hospital 680 Center Street Brockton, MA 02302 Outpatient nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian available. Physician referral required for insurance coverage. Each insurance provider determines the degree of coverage for this service and members are encouraged to contact their individual plan. 508-941-7575 (scheduling) South Shore Hospital 55 Fogg Road Weymouth, MA 02190 781-340-8143 Outpatient nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian available. Physician referral required for insurance coverage. Each insurance provider determines the degree of coverage for this service and members are encouraged to contact their individual plan. Nutritionally Sound Elizabeth Harlin, CDE, RD, LDN Plymouth, MA 508-747-9775 Out patient nutrition counseling is provided for children and adults. Betsy is a certified diabetes educator and is a provider for the following insurances; TUFTS, Harvard Pilgrim, Blue Cross, Aetna. Insurance coverage is dependant on individual benefits. Richmond Nutrition Center Stacey Richmond, RD, LDN 345 Court Street Plymouth, MA 02563 244 Willow Street Yarmouthport, MA 02675 508-362-1221 (scheduling) Nutrition counseling provided for children and families emphasizing a lifestyle approach. Stacey works with children of all ages specializing in disordered eating including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, chronic dieting and weight management. Services are self pay. Many insurance companies will reimburse for out of net work services that are medically necessary, we will provide appropriate documentation for submission. Internet Resources www.kidshealth.org KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctorapproved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has been on the Web since 1995 - and has been accessed by about 250,000,000 visitors. On a typical weekday, more than 350,000 people access KidsHealth's reliable information. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents - each with its own design, ageappropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources - all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens. Fantastic site! www.nutritionexplrations.org Fantastic site with many great links to additional kid friendly sites. This site offers information for parents, educators, school food service and children. The children’s site includes fun education/ interactive nutrition programs and an individual nutrition tracker. www.BAM.gov Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Designed for kids 9-13 years old, BAM! Body and Mind gives them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site focuses on topics that kids told us are important to them — such as stress and physical fitness — using kidfriendly lingo, games, quizzes, and other interactive features. BAM! Body and Mind is an online destination for kids created by the Centers for BAM! Body and Mind also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to the national education standards for science and health. Colorful superhero-like characters. www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign VERB is a national, multicultural, social marketing campaign* coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The VERB campaign encourages young people ages 9–13 (tweens) years to be physically active every day. The campaign combines paid advertising, marketing strategies, and partnership efforts to reach the distinct audiences of tweens and adults/influencers. This Web site includes resources and information to make regular physical activity ―cool‖ for tweens and a fun thing to do. There are also VERB materials for organizations that do not directly provide programs to tweens but can promote the importance of regular physical activity for tweens, such as through communications, advocacy, policy change, and training of program providers. mypyramid.gov Includes an interactive site using the new food pyramid. This site also includes a child friendly version for 6-11 year olds with the targeted messages about the importance of making smart eating and physical activity choices . www.fitness.gov This is the health, physical activity, fitness and sports information website of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. You can find out about the Council and its work, view publications, and link to the resources of other government agencies as well as to health and fitness organizations. Includes links to interactive websites for kids, teens and adults. grandmashealthykidsclub.com This is an e-membership site created by a grandmother concerned about the lack of resources for overweight children. It is an on line weight management program geared to all age levels of children providing dietitian reviewed meal plans, physical activity guidelines and other ―chore‖ checklists. Not for everyone, but worth checking out. mayoclinic.com This site has a children’s health tab and if fitness and nutrition is selected next it will bring you to many great articles for parents on nutrition/weight concerns for children. newenglanddairycouncil.org This is the website for the New England Dairy Council. This site has great resources and information on developing school wellness policies, food service guidelines and educational ideas for educators to incorporate into their curriculum. http://teamnutrition.usda.gov Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.