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News, December 2011.

Advocating Healthy Lifestyles

The project “Youth Votes for Health” that is currently being implemented by the Fund for Sustainable Development with support from the Alcoa Foundation was included in the Library of Best Healthy Lifestyle Practices of the Russian Federation Ministry of Public Health and Social Development

“We are glad to welcome all active participants in the project “Youth Votes for Health” – students and teachers from city and district schools, the Children’s Creativity Center, coaches who conducted training on outdoor fitness machines and supporters and advocates of healthy life styles,” said Irina Seredina on December 13, 2011 while opening a round table to summarize project results of 2011 organized at the Children’s Creativity Center with support from CJSC Alcoa-Metallurg Rus.

Thanks to this project in the city of Belaya Kalitva and Vostochno-Gornyatsky settlement, two outdoor sites with new generation fitness machines were built in 2011. They are in essence “free” open-air gyms, where any local resident is welcome to use any of the fourteen units of fitness equipment. Project activities also included a contest of small health projects, a contest held among schoolchildren for the best emblem of the project and a festival “Healthy School – Healthy Family”. In the course of six months, children from nearby schools and summer city camps exercised in the fresh air under the supervision of coaches who used specially developed training programs.

In Kirovsky District of Samara the project was joined by seven partner schools with 5,500 students, where 7 fitness sites were open, 35 elective health lessons were conducted and a teacher’s manual on health lessons was put out.

T.Kravchenko, director of the Children’s Creativity Center, opened the round table and congratulated the participants on the successful completion and wished everyone new creative achievements. Ms. Kravchenko thanked the director of Alcoa Metallurg Rus for the ongoing

philanthropic support and kindness toward children.

At this event students presented the summaries of their projects.

In School # 2 a study of the impact of smoking on performance and health was conducted and surveys and activities entitled “Replace a Cigarette with a Candy” were organized.

The children also launched a campaign “Don’t spend money on cigarettes, spend it on a text message to children suffering from cancer”.

Contests of drawings were held and an issue of the eco newspaper Everything is in Your Hands was put out. In the course of the year, students from School # 5 prepared two exhibitions – “Vitamins in Food” and “Medicinal House Plants” and photo exhibitions about the best athletes of their school and athletic families.

Students from School # 9 in Vostochno-Gornyatsky settlement worked on several projects: they grew windowsill gardens and created a video film “Your and My Choices” and animation films “The Journey of Milk” and “Apples”. Local activists from Belaya Kalitva joined efforts and conducted activities advertising health lifestyles during the city rap festival, and spoke at the settlement’s women’s community center and library about healthy eating and the disadvantages of fast food.

The staff of the Children’s Creativity Center led excursions on the topic “Healthy Food from Nature” and conducted master classes on the use of outdoor fitness equipment.

Nearly 70 events devoted to healthy lifestyles took place in 3 schools and the Center in Belaya Kalitva and Belay Kalitva raion that were attended by over 5,450 people.

At the round table, nearly 50 most active participants and authors of projects on the theme “Healthy Lifestyle” were awarded prizes and certificates for their contribution to the implementation of the pilot project “Youth Votes for Health!” Many children and adults who have come to the realization that healthy lives may be interesting and real are ready to share their successful experience with others. The Alcoa Foundation offers such an opportunity in 2012 to the residents of Belaya Kalitva, where three new outdoor fitness sites will be opened. And where new contests and festivals will be held. You are welcome to join us! We are waiting for your ideas and proposals that will help everyone in the city to adhere to healthy lifestyles!