Head Start Body Start

Last week I attended a meeting of master trainers for the new Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play. The center was created with a $12 million grant from the Office of Head Start, with the intention of increasing the levels of physical activity among children in Head Start programs. HSBS will provide grants of up to $5,000 to Head Start centers nationwide to improve their outdoor play space. Grants recipients will also receive targeted training and technical assistance from HSBS, including on-site consultation from a physical activity expert and access to on-line training. (The Play Space Grant RFP was released on May 15th. To access the RFP visit  the HSBS website.)

I have to admit I had mixed feelings about heading to Reston VA and HSBS headquarters. Although I'd agreed, when the grant was being written, to act as a master trainer should the grant be received, that was many months ago. Since then I've been busy, busy, busy; and BAM! has keep me pretty involved. I really didn't want to leave all my other work behind even for a few days.

Then our meetings began. Involved were four other master trainers and four HSBS staff members. And it was incredible. The energy in that conference room was amazing.

First of all, because I work mostly alone, it was a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by a room full of people who are passionate about early childhood physical activity. There are maybe only a couple of dozen of us in the country, so it's astonishing to even find a room full of people passionate about such a subject. And because everyone in that room felt so strongly about the contribution we could make to Head Start children -- and possibly children everywhere -- I renewed my dedication to the field I've been involved in for almost 30 years.

One of the most powerful moments came during a presentation by Nilda Cosco, an HSBS advisory board member and Education Specialist for the Natural Learning Initiative. Nilda showed us slides of outdoor settings and children's experiences in them (many of which were in Europe, unfortunately). In one (which did take place in Europe), a little girl sat on a hot day with her bare feet cooling in a stream. Nilda told us that she'd watched the little girl for about 15 minutes, during which the child gazed into the water and quietly sang to herself.

It was the kind of experience every child should have -- and so few do. And as my eyes filled with tears, I gazed around the room and saw I wasn't the only one who was moved.

So, yes. I have most definitely renewed my commitment to the work I've been doing for three decades. To children's active play -- and to as much of it as possible taking place outdoors!

Comments

[thymian]

Yes… that’s the name of the newest bureaucracy, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood federal government. Does anyone else find it troubling that the federal government now feels that it is their responsibility to make sure your children play outside enough and will spend millions of dollars to make sure that they do?