Letter to the Editor submitted by Ellen Gannett, M.Ed., Georgia Hall, Ph.D., and Jean Wiecha, Ph.D., to Newsweek in response to the March 22, 2010 article, "Feed Your Children Well." (unpublished)
April 2, 2010
To the Editor:
Bravo to Michelle Obama for her work to help our nation's children live well and become healthy adults (Feed Your Children Well, March 22, 2010). Please let's not forget about including afterschool programs in the solution. Youth workers and program administrators are seeking resources and support for their efforts to help millions of kids and their families "move" more and live well. Recent initiatives we have underway will help us to examine policies and programs that can inform industry standards for out-of-school time practitioners. Meaningful and inspiring local and state out-of-school-time programs need to be included in the national dialogue on guidelines for practical healthy eating and physical activities. These community programs also need help procuring affordable, healthy food and training for staff. The tens of thousands of youth workers and afterschool administrators working across the nation can be great ambassadors and change makers for our children and their families.
Ellen Gannett, M.Ed., Director, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley Centers for Women
Georgia Hall, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley Centers for Women
Jean Wiecha, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Exercise and Health Science Department, and Director, GoKids Boston Research, Training and Outreach Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston
