Parkland's Camp CHAMPS helps instill healthy habits in kids this summer

DALLAS — More than 180 children ages 7 to 16 will learn to make healthier lifestyle choices this summer as part of a program offered by Parkland Health & Hospital System called Choosing Healthy Activities, Meals and Positive Self-Esteem (CHAMPS). The program is a collaboration between Parkland, Children’s Health Fund, a charitable organization committed to providing health care to the nation's most medically underserved children and the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).

“We had a record number of campers pre-register this year and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it,” said Jeff Howard, Parkland Community Development Specialist in charge of the Camp CHAMPS program. “Childhood obesity is on the rise, especially in medically underserved neighborhoods, so we’re excited to teach kids how to develop healthier lifestyles while helping them to have fun at the same time.”

With help from the Children’s Health Fund, Camp CHAMPS was launched as a week-long camp in 2010. This year there will be four camp sessions, each lasting four days, led by a team of Parkland physicians, nurses, dietitians and health educators. Each day is dedicated to teaching a different element of a healthy lifestyle, including mental health, nutrition, self-esteem and physical exercise. Campers will learn how to read food labels, manage stress, set goals and exercise for fitness and fun.

The program is offered in both English and Spanish at no cost to participants. Parents are encouraged to attend with their children because research shows that with parental involvement, the likelihood of children incorporating the changes into their lives increases tremendously.

In addition to learning healthy habits while having fun, children are screened and evaluated by physicians and nurses during camp, enabling them to identify any previously undetected health conditions. Any young patients from Parkland’s school-based Youth & Family health centers diagnosed with diabetes, asthma or high body mass index (BMI) are referred to Camp CHAMPS each year.

Two of the main goals for Camp CHAMPS are matching children without a medical home with a Youth & Family health center and increasing parental involvement. One of the long-term goals is to follow children through their school nurses with repeated measurements and to track this data to document how increased education makes a difference in the children’s habits.

“The idea is to make an impact on these kids’ lives and to inspire them to start making changes now that will positively affect their health in the long run,” said Howard.

This year’s camp dates and locations are listed below: 

• June 17-20, 1 to 5 p.m., St. John Baptist Church, 1701 West Jefferson St., Grand Prairie, 75051

• June 24-27, 8 a.m. to12 p.m., Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School, 7000 Holly Hill Drive, Dallas, 75231

• July 8-11, 8 a.m. to12 p.m., CareCenter Community Center, 7912 Antoinette St., Dallas, 75217

• July 15-18, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Voice of Hope Community Center, 4120 Gentry Drive, Dallas, 75212

For more information about Camp CHAMPS and registration details, please call Jeff Howard at 214.266.1120.