Young Heroes Across the United States Invited to Join the Fight Against Childhood Obesity in Their Communities

UnitedHealth HEROES grants support youth-led solutions to childhood obesity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Youth Service America (YSA) and UnitedHealth Group are encouraging youth to create and implement programs around childhood obesity in their local communities.

UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people, partnering with schools and nonprofits, to create and implement local hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. Educators, nonprofit leaders, and students are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $1,000 to engage youth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Service-learning is an effective teaching and learning strategy that supports student academic achievement and workplace readiness skill development.

Now in its third year, the UnitedHealth HEROES grants have funded 361 programs, engaged more than 20,000 youth, and contributed more than 436,000 volunteer hours. Youth participants raise awareness around their work by culminating their service projects on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 15-17, 2011, an international day of service that occurs in all 50 states and in more than 100 countries.

Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 22, 2010. Grant recipients will be notified in December and January. To obtain an application, visit www.YSA.org/HEROES.

"UnitedHealth HEROES is about providing youth the opportunity to take control of their own lives and serve as problem-solvers in their communities," said Steve Culbertson, YSA president and CEO. "Hands-on learning and peer-to-peer education give students a greater understanding of the biggest health issue facing their generation and the power to change those circumstances for the better."

"With UnitedHealth HEROES, we are helping young people take action to improve their overall health and quality of life in a way that's not only educational, but beneficial for their communities. We believe that as people become more aware of health issues through health literacy and advocacy initiatives, they will make positive changes to live better lives," said Jeannine Rivet, UnitedHealth Group executive vice president. "We look forward to seeing the creative ideas our young people come up with to help fight obesity and encourage healthier living."

Examples of 2010 HEROES programs include:

• Students at the University of Cincinnati worked with elementary school children on developing their own comic books to educate them about childhood obesity. The children learned how to design the books and write scripts based upon their experiences with fruits and vegetables. They also conducted taste-testing sessions, giving the younger children an opportunity to experience less common fruits and vegetables.
• The Kentucky YMCA Youth Association rated communities throughout the state using metrics such as access to produce, access to sidewalks and bike lanes, and the time allotted for physical activity in schools. The students presented their findings at a neighborhood health fair on Global Youth Service Day and encouraged residents to learn more about communities that received a low score and directed them to resources to learn more about how individuals can improve their community's health index.
• Students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Washington, D.C., conducted a Healthy Body Expo, featuring cooking demonstrations, healthy food tastings, and wellness presentations by community organizations. The expo was one component of the school's semester long "Road to the Healthy Body program," which taught students about healthy eating and exercise through peer coaching.

Applicants can find additional information about the grant, service-learning, and childhood obesity at www.YSA.org/HEROES, including "First Responders: Youth Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Service-Learning," a step-by-step manual that helps youths, parents, teachers, and other volunteers deploy YSA service-learning models to fight childhood obesity in their communities.

About Youth Service America

Youth Service America (YSA) improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles.  Founded in 1986, YSA supports a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership and achievement.  The impact of YSA's work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness and healthy communities.  For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better.  With headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of health benefit programs through UnitedHealthcare, Ovations and AmeriChoice, and health services through Ingenix, OptumHealth and Prescription Solutions.  Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 75 million people worldwide.

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Steve Culbertson

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SOURCE Youth Service America