Health Ambassadors Program

(HAP)EHS Department

Course Description

• EHS420: Pediatric Exercise

• This course focuses on exercise and physical activity in children and adolescents. This course introduces students to the anatomical , physiological and psychosocial issues related to exercise and physical activity in children such as effects of maturation, growth and puberty on the fitness components (body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance and flexibility), normal responses to exercise, and adaptations of exercise training. A special emphasis will also be on public health policies and national recommendations for children and adolescents including physical activity, physical education, nutritional intake, sedentary behaviors, etc.

Project Team

• Members of the project team

• EHS Faculty: Sarah Camhi

• Department Chair: Ron Iannotti

• Support: GOKids Staff: Meghan Feeley; Carlos Salas

• Partners• Physical Education: Roger Clap Innovation School (Angel

Scott) • After- School Program: Tenacity (Gary Phillips)• Recess – In-School Program: Playworks (Karleen Herbst)• Communty Gym: Healthworks (Lauren Broadhurst)

Project Goals1) Expand the reach of GoKids beyond UMass Boston’s campus and into

the neighboring community.

2) Give “Ambassadors” enrolled in EHS 420 a real-world hands-on opportunity to work with children and/or adolescents in a local community setting on issues relating to public health, exercise, nutrition and health sciences.

3) Collaborate and assist with various agencies around Boston who deliver child and adolescent programming related to physical activity, heath, and nutrition.

4) Allow “Ambassadors” enrolled in EHS 420 to observe and participate in age-appropriate programming aimed specifically for youth, by receiving training from both community agencies and GoKids.

5) Assist local agencies in delivering high quality health, wellness and fitness programming by creating a new curriculum, activities (or “other” as deemed appropriate for the specific agency) that focuses on content that are age-, space- and resource- appropriate.

6) Provide children/adolescents with role models who are physically active and attend college.

Possible Learning Outcomes

• Students• Observational Paper

• Graded by me!

• Programmatic contribution (new or improvements to existing curriculum)• Graded/Assessed by community

partner/me/both?

• Partners• evaluations

What I want from CESI:

• Program evaluation ideas

• Civic Engagement evaluation ideas

• How to be involved but not so involved