Garden clubs. Ping pong. Basketball. Volleyball. We’re able to offer all of that goodness and more, thanks to a generous grant made to Move2Learn by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth!
Under the grant, led by Program Director Jen Wiser and Project Manager Arturo Yaggia on the Move2Learn side, we’ve formed a community coalition to serve underserved middle school Hispanic youth in Alexandria city, with programming aimed at moving more, reducing stress with mindfulness and improving nutrition. Called the “Healthy Community Action Team,” or HCAT, the group includes Casa Chirilagua, INOVA Healthy Plate Club, Neighborhood Health, ACPS and Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga.
We hired Arturo, a native Spanish speaker, under the grant, and he’s indispensable to our efforts. The team meets monthly to discuss programming and ideas that have resulted in really cool activities.
The Move2Learn Garden Club
For starters, the Move2Learn Garden Club at George Washington Middle School in collaboration with Casa Chirilagua. With guidance from the green thumbs of the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia and the Virginia Cooperative Extension, about 18 students —recent arrivals from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who are learning English—grew beautiful lettuce in the school courtyard.
They turned the soil, planted the seeds, weeded the beds and watered using a bicycle-powered watering system. They learned about nutrition, the environment and the seasonal growth of lettuce, all while reaping the additional benefits of movement and sunshine!
Yoga and Other Mindfulness Activities
Other aspects of the VFHY grant covered the school’s Move2Learn Yoga Club, organized by teacher Maritza Acosta. She identified the 12 participating Latina students as having potential but who need support, nurturing and guidance.
Ms. Acosta also ran the M2L Walking Club last year with the same girls.
An instructor from Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga the Tuesday morning yoga. The INOVA Healthy Plate Club provided nutritional education, specifically around a healthy breakfast to coincide with the morning yoga hour.
Next Up
We’re at Casa Chirilagua every Tuesday for the next few weeks for after-school basketball, ping pong and volleyball. Students set goals for themselves to work on a particular skill like serving a volleyball or ping pong ball or mastering the layup. They get moving and enjoy healthy snacks before heading home.
Basketball Coach Kwashie (left) and his basketball team; Ping Pong Coach Daniele with his ping pong team; and M2L Program Director Jen with Coach Bowser’s volleyball team.
Lower left: The coaches include Prince Kwashie (L), our Movement Mentor at Patrick Henry, for basketball; Luke Daniele, a former youth probation officer, for ping pong; and Madison Louise Bowser, a former volleyball player for Texas A&M! M2L’s Arturo is wearing the USA t-shirt. Lower right: M2L board member, Bryan Montgomery, pictured here with Coach Bowser, came by to see what it’s all about!
In addition to the coaches, we supplied a portable volleyball net and balls as well as paddles, balls and a net for ping pong.
We hope to extend our work with these students into the summer!
