School and Community: Bringing them Closer Rachel Pickering Program Manager (585) ext.112

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1 School and Community: Bringing them Closer Rachel Pickering Program Manager (585) ext.112 Advocating for a handful of public-policy and practice changes, and blazing a path for healthier, more active children in Rochester and Monroe County, N.Y

2 Monroe County Suburban Urban City of Rochester Normal 74.4% 60.7% Over weight 13.8% 17.5% Obese 11.8% 21.8% Monroe County Childhood Obesity Prevalence Study, Dr. Stephen Cook, 2009 Prevalence of Obesity for Children in Monroe County over 2 years old

3 City of Rochester BMI Category Race Normal / Under Weight Over weight Obese African-American 61.8% 18.0% 20.2% Hispanic 53.4% 19.8% 26.8% Caucasian 62.3% 16.3% 21.4% 38.2% 46.6% 37.7% Overall 59.9% 18.2% 21.9% Monroe County Childhood Obesity Prevalence Study, Dr. Stephen Cook, 2009

4 Healthi Kids Policy Team Convene 27-member HEALTHi Kids Policy Team Examine public policy/practices that promote youth s healthy eating and active living. Strength of evidence Impact Level of effectiveness Feasibility

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6 Policy Agenda:

7 Where we ve been, where we re going

8 Within the span of one generation, the percentage of children walking or bicycling to school has dropped sharply, from approximately 50% in 1969 to just 13% in 2009 Safe Routes Partnership

9 Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a national and international movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to and from schools. The program has been designed to reverse the decline in children walking and bicycling to schools. Safe Routes to School can also play a critical role in reversing the alarming nationwide trend toward childhood obesity and inactivity.

10 Traffic Congestion: Neighborhoods are becoming increasingly clogged by traffic. By boosting the number of children walking and bicycling, Safe Routes to School projects reduce traffic congestion. Safety: Safe Routes to School projects focus on infrastructure improvements, traffic education for students, and driver enforcement that provide positive impacts on the safety of children, many of whom already walk or bicycle to school in unsafe conditions. Health and Obesity: Children today are simply not getting enough physical activity, contributing to growing rates of obesity and obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes. Safe Routes to School projects make it safer for more children to walk and bicycle to school, which will help address this obesity crisis among children by creating increases in physical activity.

11 Environment: Safe Routes to School projects increase the number of children walking and bicycling to school, which also cuts down on the number of cars. As cars emit pollutants for each mile traveled, reducing traffic can improve the quality of air that children breathe in and around their schools. Bus Transportation Costs: Schools often make cutbacks in bus routes to save money meaning that more children will be walking and bicycling in potentially unsafe conditions, or more parents will drive their children, which increases traffic congestion and air quality concerns. Buffalo spends $4.5 million/year on transportation Rochester spends $9 million/year on transportation

12 Engineering: physical improvements to the environment such as crosswalks, sidewalks and signals. Education: methods to teach children, parents and neighbors about the benefits of walking and cycling to school as well teaching appropriate walking, driving and cycling behaviors to support safe travel in the school zone. Encouragement: programs such as Walk to School Day, the Walking School Bus, contests and other initiatives to entice children, parents and others to walk or bicycle to school. Enforcement: incorporates law enforcement efforts to ensure drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians obey traffic laws and practice appropriate behaviors. Evaluation: uses measurements or indicators such as the number of children walking or bicycling to school to ascertain the success of any SRTS program.

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15 Building our Coalition Advocate & Rally Support! Athletic Directors & P.E. Teachers Food Service Staff School Administration School Nurses PTO/PTA Groups School Board Members Faith & Community Leaders Neighbors & Parents Local Government (Town Boards, Council Members, Legislators) The Media FLHSA Coalitions

16 Steve Beauvais NYSDOT Region 4 Regional Transportation Enhancements Program Coordinator (585) sbeauvais@dot.state.ny.us Check us out

17 Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency The triangle represents our agency s role as a fulcrum the point on which a lever pivots boosting the community s health by leveraging the strengths of all stakeholders. The fulcrum is also a point of equilibrium, reflecting our ability to balance the needs of consumers, providers and payers on complex health matters. The inner triangle also evokes the Greek letter delta used in medical and mathematical contexts to represent change with a forward lean as we work with our community to achieve positive changes in health care. Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. Archimedes 1150 University Avenue Rochester, New York