Key Initiatives

Key Initiatives

Healthy Weight and Your Child

The Corning Community YMCA is piloting a program for obese children between ages 7 and 13. The YMCA USA headquarters has developed this program and is sponsoring pilot programs in six locations around the country; Corning is fortunate to be one of the sites. The program includes 25 two-hour sessions over 15 weeks.  Key elements are nutrition education, portion control, physical activity, and parent-child joint efforts to achieve a healthy weight.

Participants have been identified by local pediatricians and self-identified through media announcements and public relations. The first program has been offered during fall 2016; another session may be offered in early 2017.

Childhood Healthy Lifestyle Program

The Corning-Painted Post Area School District piloted a program offering 16 modules of health curriculum to third-grade students at the Calvin Smith Elementary School during the 2015-16 school year.  The program is continuing in 2016-17.   The curriculum was developed by Dr. Verlyn Warrington, Director of the Medical Bariatrics Program at the Guthrie Weight Loss Center in Sayre, Pa.  The third-grade classroom teachers and physical education teacher converted this information into lessons that include physical activity, nutrition principles, macronutrients of a healthy diet, sleep habits, screen time, self-esteem, resisting food advertising, healthy eating habits and healthy snacks.

Evaluation of the program includes pre- and post-eating habits testing, measurement of BMI and body fat percentage, and testing for knowledge retention.

Geographic and Programmatic Expansion

FAST has been focused on the Greater Corning area, and we have now started conversations with the Bath Central School District regarding programs to improve fitness and nutrition. One possibility would be to adapt to the Childhood Healthy Lifestyle Program now at Calvin Smith Elementary School. Another good option would be to use CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health), a highly developed program that started in Texas more than 25 years ago and is now used nationwide. Cornell Cooperative Extension has been offering training and financial support for CATCH to schools in the past year.

Financial Support for Fitness and Wellness Expansion in Schools

The federal government is seeking to improve fitness and wellness in schools through the Fit Kids Act, passed by Congress in 2016.  We expect that grants will be offered through New York State to schools beginning in the 2017-18 school year.  We will be following this opportunity as we progress into 2017 and will be bringing it to the attention of area school districts.

Synergistic Programs and Initiatives

Community Programs and Initiatives

We support a variety of programs and initiatives in the broader community that are consistent with the mission of FAST. Examples include:

  • Girls on the Run and Heart and Sole run by the Steuben Rural Health Network.
  • Annual Diabetes Fair run by the Southern Tier Diabetes Coalition.
  • A project at cafeterias and vending machines at Guthrie to improve the healthiness of drinks and food offered; reducing the consumption of sugared drinks, and improving the nutritional value of food offered.
  • Healthy Kids Day offered annually by the Corning Community YMCA.