Fitness is Fun!
March 2007

The 2007 HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge is here!
On January 22 the Office of Personnel Management and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports kicked off a HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge. The Challenge participants are federal agency staffs from the 3 branches of the Federal Government, retirees and family members of the employees. We have heard a lot of positive feedback on your journey to complete the Active Lifestyle and the Presidential Champions Programs. As the challenge wraps up on March 18th, President’s Challenge would like to encourage you to continue being physically active. To reward yourself for all your hard work, order awards and President’s Challenge gear at the President’s Challenge Order Center at https://www.presidentschallenge.org/order_center/index.aspx. For more information about The Challenge visit http://www.healthierfeds.opm.gov/ or email your questions to worklife@opm.gov.

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The PCPFS and Building Healthy Communities
The PCPFS is integrally involved in a Building Healthy Communities initiative and is pleased to forward the following opportunity:

Request for Applications: Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Opportunities for Technical Assistance for Communities Interested in Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging.

Are you trying to encourage smart growth activities that will help prepare for older adults in your community? Are you trying to encourage specific smart growth techniques like transit-oriented development? Or direct your state department of transportation investments to better support smart growth? Are you looking to use smart growth to reach economic development goals? Do you need help analyzing guidelines for school investments that best fit your state or community? Do you need to retrofit a commercial corridor? Or coordinate your community's smart growth design with an active aging program?

The Development, Community, and Environment Division in the U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation is responding to this need by issuing a request for applications for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program. Through this program, a team of multidisciplinary experts will provide free technical assistance to communities, regions, or states that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other local or regional goals.

Communities, regions, and states around the country are interested in building stronger neighborhoods, protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for development, but they may lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals. EPA can help applicants overcome these roadblocks by providing evaluation tools and expert analysis.

EPA is soliciting applications from communities that want help with either policy analysis or public participatory processes. Selected communities will receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a team of experts organized by EPA and other national partners to work with local leaders. Applications will be accepted until March 8, 2007.

For more information and application materials, please go to http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm.

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President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Community Leadership Award for Physical Fitness & Sports-Overview and Nomination Form
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) Community Leadership Award for Physical Fitness & Sports (Leadership Award) is given out annually to no more than fifty (50) individuals who improve the lives of individuals within his/her community by providing or enhancing opportunities to engage in sports, physical activities, or fitness-related programs. The word “community” may refer to a State, organization, sports league or team, business, city, or community-based group. Each year nominations must be received by April 1, in order to be considered. Nominations received after April 1 will be considered in the following year’s award cycle. Nominations with incomplete information will not be considered. Eligible nominations will be reviewed and winners determined by the PCPFS council members. Winners will be announced in May and will receive a mounted certificate and letter from the PCPFS Executive Director and Council Chair and Vice-Chair. If location/time permits, a council member may present the award to the winner at a special ceremony (organized by the organization or person making the nomination).

Please provide the following:
Name of person making nomination:
Address (postal):

City:                                         State:                                        Zip Code:
Email Address:
Phone Number:

 

Name of Nominee:
Address (postal):
City:                                         State:                                        Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Company/Organizational Affiliation and Title (if any):

 

In 250 words or less (approximately one-half page, single-spaced), please be sure to explain the significance of the individual’s accomplishments and how his/her efforts have improved the lives of others.

Please email or fax the nomination form and essay to:
Jane Wargo

jane.wargo@hhs.gov
Fax: 202.690.5211

 

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Seeking Community Based Groups for Grants
Through the Take Action: Healthy People, Places, and Practices in Communities Project, the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and the Regional Health Administrators (RHAs) are seeking community-based groups that have developed activities that support the President’s HealthierUS initiative to promote and sustain healthy lifestyles in their communities.

Type of Activities to be funded must include one of the following types of activities:

• Physical activity,
• Nutrition/healthy eating,
• Preventive screenings
• Making healthy choices/ avoiding risky behaviors.

Examples of possible projects include: Walking programs for a neighborhood or workplace, School lunch programs that include locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and Smoking preventions for teens.

Not-for-profit, community-based organizations, including faith-based groups, after-school programs, coalitions and others can apply for these funds. Projects that focus on eliminating health disparities are encouraged. Up to 270 projects will be funded. Projects will cover the period July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Each project will range from $2,000-$5,000 for the project period. The proposals are due on March 30, 2007 by 5:00pm MST.

For more information on how to apply visit

http://phs.os.dhhs.gov/ophs/HealthyPeople/.

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General Mills Grants for PALA Awards
A unique partnership between the President's Challenge and General Mills Community Action is allowing eligible schools to receive free Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) emblems and certificates for eligible students at their school. Through the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids program, General Mills Community Action will provide Presidential recognition to eligible low socioeconomic status schools (up to 25,000 students) and the President's Challenge will list the school on our Web site, http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ as a "General Mills Challenge School." In order to be eligible for the awards, students must meet the PALA requirements of being physically active 60 minutes per day, five days a week for six weeks. Also, if 35% of the student population earns the PALA award two or more times during the school year, the school will automatically earn the distinction of becoming a President's Challenge Active Lifestyle Model School. If you are a low socioeconomic status school, fill out the application at http://www.presidentschallenge.org/advocates/gen_mills_sponsorform.pdf and send it in to the President's Challenge office.

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General Mills, American Dietetics Association and PCPFS initiative
The General Mills Foundation, American Dietetics Association, and the Preisdent’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports are celebrating 5 years of the Champions in Fitness and Nutrition initiative. A summit highlighting grassroots initiatives impacted thru this program is in the planning stages for May 23-24 in Washington, DC. Stay tuned for more information!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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