The Illinois Health Education Consortium/AHEC is committed to curbing the growing epidemic of childhood obesity among Illinois' children.  Through innovative partnerships, IHEC has helped create environments that foster physical activity and healthy eating in two Chicago neighborhoods.

Active Living by Design/Healthy Eating by Design - Logan Square

The Active Living by Design partnership focuses on creating a community environment that promotes physical activity as essential to primary health care.  Major accomplishments of the partnership include:

• Completing a door-to-door asset-based survey in Spanish of over 400 residents focused on barriers and opportunities for physical activity.
• Initiating a walking school bus program and creating a safety committee.
• Advocating for the development of the Bloomingdale Trail/Linear Park.
• Organizing "Ayuda Mutua" initiatives to create opportunities for residents to teach, learn, and engage in physical activities.
• Advocating and planning for the first "Sunday Parkways" events in the city of Chicago.

The Healthy Eating by Design partnership engages parents and teachers to create supportive healthy eating environments and policies in McAuliffe Elementary School.  Major accomplishments of the partnership include:

• Integrating nutrition and gardening into the curriculum
• Providing daily fresh fruit or vegetable snacks for first grade students.
• Healthy cooking demonstrations and parent educational materials

To learn more about these programs, view the Active Living Logan Square Community Partnership Profile. 

Whittier Wellness Initiative - Lower West Side/Pilsen  

The Whittier Community School Wellness Initiative works to increase access to safe recreational opportunities, provide nutrition education to students and parents, and increase comsumption of fresh whole foods among the families of Whitter Community School and the Pilsen community.  Building from the lessons and partnerships established by ALbD and HEbD, the major accomplishments include:

• Integrating nutrition and physical activity into all subjects
• Organic gardening learning stations and instruction for students and parents
• Increasing physical activity options in after-school programming

Partner/Collaborating Agencies in Chilhood Obesity Initiatives:

Logan Square Neighborhood Association, the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the City of Chicago Department of Police, Community Alternative Policing, the Chicago Department of Public Health, McAuliffe Elementary School, Ames Elementary School, Whittier Community School, Pilsen Alliance, Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion, Chicago Health Corps-AmeriCorps, Openlands, Seven Generations Ahead, Growing Power, and others.

Funders:

Active Living by Design and Healthy Eating by Design are national programs made possible in part by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  For more information, visit www.activelivingbydesign.org.

The start-up funds to establish the Whittier Wellness Initiative were provided by a grant from the Aetna Foundation.