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Chula Vista Public library
Chula Vista, CA
How does a library create summer programming that will attract teen audiences and appropriately address health literacy issues? Ask the librarians at Chula Vista Public Library! Through collaboration with the CVPL Teen Council, input from community partners, as well as concerted outreach efforts to local middle and high schools, they created a program that not only engaged teens throughout the summer, but also inspired them to make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Over 775 teens participated in Chula Vista Public Library’s “Seek & Be Fit: Healthy Scavenger Hunt” Fit for Life program, which consisted of a variety of activities including hip-hop and Polynesian dance workshops, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) tournaments and Nintendo Wii video gaming, and kickboxing classes. Sharp Medical Center nutritionist Patti Ennis visited the library and spoke to teens about food label comparisons, the food pyramid, and making healthy eating choices; immediately following Ennis’ discussion, library staff staged healthy cooking demonstrations on how to prepare easy fruit smoothies, and hummus and crudités.
In addition to earning points for reading, teens were also rewarded for participating in a wide variety of physical fitness activities and programs offered by CVPL and its community partners, including the City of Chula Vista Recreation Department, Sweetwater Union High School District, Sharp Medical Center, and the South Bay YMCA. Teens tracked their personal fitness activities (e.g. swimming, running, walking, surfing, playing tennis/basketball/soccer/baseball, dancing, etc.) outside of the library, and were given 2 points (out of a possible 100 points) for every 30 minutes of exercise. Several parents indicated how impressed they were with “Seek & Be Fit’s” healthy message, and were pleasantly surprised by the 10-point bonus activity that encouraged teens to prepare a nutritious meal for their families. Teens recorded their reading and fitness activities in their “Seek & Be Fit” logs, and were awarded prizes at the 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100-point levels, which included frisbees, Chula Vista Nature Center passes, swim passes, Legoland coupons, skateboard park passes, hackey sacks, pedometers, water bottles, and t-shirts. Our final event in the “Seek & Be Fit” Fit for Life program was a teen dance-off contest that brought the fitness theme full-circle by encouraging contestants to show off their fabulous moves honed in the dance workshops offered throughout the summer.
Through “Seek & Be Fit” Fit for Life’s innovative programs, teens and their families have come to view the library as “a place that is about more than just books.” With the “Seek & Be Fit” program, CVPL saw a 23% increase in teen summer reading program participation. Lalitha Nataraj, Teen Services Librarian, and co-coordinator for “Seek & Be Fit”, noted “this increase has inspired the library to consider incorporating ongoing fitness themed programs for teens.” The “Seek & Be Fit” program has been a rewarding experience that has allowed CVPL to take on a focused, proactive role in relaying critical information that supports the well being of the community.
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Above and below: Teens at the Hip Hop
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To read about more successful Get Real, Get Fit! and Fit for Life programs, visit the Library Showcase Archives by clicking here!
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