Close to 160 teenagers and adults from across South Carolina attended the 5th Annual Youth Summit on July 15 at SC State University to learn about youth-led policy changes and how to advocate effectively. Hosted by the Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project and Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, the Summit featured Chris Suggs, a nationally-known social justice activist and founder of Kinston Teens in Kinston, North Carolina.
Suggs, a rising freshman at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, shared his experiences as a leader on the local, state, and national levels, as well as his work with the non-profit he started, Kinston Teens.
“Leadership builds one’s confidence and self-esteem, leaving you with a feeling of knowing that you can change the world,” said Suggs. “Leadership also builds your network and net worth —exposing you to opportunities to meet new people and to earn money to make a living.”
Suggs stressed the importance of building a strong support system by surrounding yourself with positive people; making good choices that define your future; and being determined to meet your goals no matter the obstacles you face.
HYPE Project teams from Orangeburg, Anderson, Barnwell, Berkeley, Hampton, Florence, Kershaw, Laurens, and York counties presented videos on their successes in establishing policy and environmental changes in their communities. Youth worked with local leaders to implement the following changes:
Healthy food choices at ball park concessions stands (Barnwell and Kershaw counties)
Park cleanup, safety improvements, and signage (Anderson, Florence and Orangeburg counties)
Faith-based community garden to feed the community members (Berkeley County)
Installing crosswalk signs and caution lights near schools (Laurens County)
Installing way-finding signs on trails (Hampton County)
This year’s Youth Summit also featured breakout sessions with one special treat for boys. Award-winning speaker and National Manager at Fatherhood.com, Patrick Patterson, spoke to boys about the importance of establishing strong relationships, keeping a positive circle of friends, and defining success – it’s not about money. He concluded his session with a How to Tie a Tie instruction. For this portion, ESMMSC held a necktie drive and collected over 900 neckties from individuals across the Midlands.
The youth had six other breakout session choices on avoiding risky behaviors, public speaking, how to advocate, how government works, perception of self, and how to make healthy eating and active living policies work in school through the NFL Fuel Up to Play 60.
Other special guests included: WACH FOX 57’s “Trendy” Fraendy Clervaud, Richland County Sherriff’s Deputy Curtis Wilson, and DJ Jeremiah. The Youth Summit was made possible by the Southeastern United Dairy Industry Association, BlueCross BlueShield of SC Medicaid and several other supporters.
Winning HYPE Team Videos
All HYPE teams were encouraged to submit a video summarizing their project for a friendly video competition.
Since its creation in 2007, Eat Smart Move More South Carolina has been a convener of local and state partners with common goals to reduce obesity in the Palmetto State. The founding partners recognized that collaboration is key to having a sustainable impact in communities. Ava Dean was one of those founding partners at Palmetto Health Richland who saw the need to bring healthy eating and active living together under one roof.
Dean served on the SC Coalition for Obesity Prevention with the Healthy Richland program, which also focused on active living. She played a pivotal role in establishing ESMMSC’s name, mission, vision, and bylaws. Today, she’s the SC Program Manager at the National Kidney Foundation and continues to serve ESMMSC and her community.
This year we celebrate ESMMSC’s 10th Anniversary. What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you think about that? As we celebrate 10 years, I smile. The meetings, retreats, calls, and conferences were not in vain. People’s lives have changed due to the efforts of this organization. There’s growth!
What were your visions during your service? My visions were similar to the group. I believe that’s why we moved so well together. We wanted communities to eat healthy, to be physically active, and, most importantly, to be healthy. We wanted to reach them in every aspect of their lives.
What do you see as ESMMSC’s biggest accomplishments since 2007? Collaborations and Community Establishments. This is a STATE effort, not one specific area. We learn from each other.
Where would you like to see ESMMSC in 10 years? In 10 years, I’d like to see more collaborations and seminars offered to the community.
Do you have additional thoughts that you would like to share? I’ve had the opportunity to bring a different perspective to this process in so many ways. I’m obese but live a very active life. I’ve learned never to assume because there’s ALWAYS more to the story. There needs to stop being silos. We have the same passion and goals. We want to see South Carolinians eat healthy, be more active, and living a healthier lifestyle in EVERY aspect of their lives.
Founded in 2007, ESMMSC is one of the first non-profit organizations of its kind in South Carolina, focusing on both healthy eating and active living. Its roots date back to 1999 when the South Carolina Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity formed and received nonprofit status in 2000. After changing its name to ESMMSC in 2007, the organization merged with the SC Coalition for Obesity Prevention.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the projects selected to receive the USDA’s annual farm to school grants designed to increase the amount of local foods served in schools. Sixty-five projects were chosen nationwide, and two are in South Carolina – Spartanburg County School District Six and Dorchester District Two.
“Increasing the amount of local foods in America’s schools is a win-win for everyone,” said Cindy Long, Deputy Administrator for Child Nutrition Programs at USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the Department’s school meals programs. “Farm to school projects foster healthy eating habits among America’s school-age children, and local economies are nourished, as well, when schools buy the food they provide from local producers.”
Spartanburg County School District Six (SD6) is being awards $100,000 to implement a sustainable food production and a student internship program at Cragmoor Farms. SD6 farm produces fruits and vegetables as well as beef cattle. Hydroponic production in the greenhouse will augment farm grown produce and the composting program will teach students about food waste and allow the district to produce its own compost at the farm.
Dorchester District Two is being awarded $74,540 to implement food production at Fox Farm, Using 200 students currently enrolled in agriculture courses at Ashley Ridge High School, Fox Farm will expand its growing area from 3/4 acres to four acres to increase its annual production of fresh fruits and vegetables to serve all twenty-four schools in Dorchester District Two.
According to the 2015 USDA Farm to School Census, schools with strong farm to school programs report higher school meal participation, reduced food waste, and increased willingness of the students to try new foods, such as fruits and vegetables. In addition, in school year 2013-2014 alone, schools purchased more than $789 million in local food from farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food processors and manufacturers. Nearly half (47 percent) of these districts plan to purchase even more local foods in future school years.
Farm to School is one of many ways USDA supports locally-produced food and the Local Food Compass Map showcases the federal investments in these efforts. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.
Eat Smart Move More SC (ESMMSC), in partnership with the SC Health + Planning Advisory Committee, is excited to announce the winners of Capture your Community, a photo campaign to capture real life examples of places and spaces in South Carolina either promote/support OR inhibit/prevent healthy eating and active living.
Thank you to all who participated in the campaign. And the winners are…
Earnestine Williams of Blythewood
Allison Love of Clover
Jessica Birt of Woodruff
Mary Kayrouz of Anderson
“The photos we received are fantastic examples of healthy eating and active living successes, as well as areas of improvement,” said Hannah Walters, MPH, senior manager for policy and community initiatives at ESMMSC. “We were pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of submissions we received.”
South Carolina is filled with examples of communities increasing access to affordable, healthy foods and safe places to be active. From local farmers’ markets and community gardens, to popular neighborhood trails and parks, to vibrant walkable/bikeable downtowns, community leaders are being inspired by the healthy eating and active living movement and are making progress towards creating healthier places to live, learn, work, play, and pray.
“We also know that many challenges still exist,” said Walters. “Many communities, despite progress, still have neighborhoods with limited access to healthy foods and few safe places to play or be active.”
The submitted photos will be used by members of the SC Health + Planning Advisory committee on social media and in presentations and reports to promote various types of successes and areas in need of improvement throughout our state.
In partnership with the Children’s Trust of SC, Eat Smart Move More South Carolina and many other partners present a webinar series on race equity and inclusion. The purpose of this webinar series is to provide individuals and organizations with the foundational knowledge needed to integrate race equity and inclusion into programs, policies, and practices.
The webinars will feature speakers from the acclaimed Race Matters Institute based in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as from community-based groups focusing on health equity within North and South Carolina. These webinars will deepen knowledge of racial equity principles and concepts, cover how to become an equity-focused organization, explain the importance of disaggregated data to propose policy solutions, and explore how to collect, analyze, and effectively use disaggregated data. The series will conclude with case studies of equity-focused initiatives within the Carolinas.
Registration is limited. Individuals from the same organization are strongly encouraged to view the series together and register under a single name. Materials and recordings from each webinar will be made accessible with time-limited availability to attendees.
Webinar Series
June 26, 2017 | 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT
Race Matters – Unpack Key Concepts to Advance Racial Equity
July 10, 2017 | 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT
Get Your House in Order – Strategies to Advance Racial Equity
Inside Your Organization
July 31, 2017 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. EDT
Data Matters – Disaggregating Data by Race and Ethnicity
August 14, 2017 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. EDT
Health Equity in Action – Case Studies from the Carolinas
Close to 160 teenagers and adults from across South Carolina attended the 5th Annual Youth Summit on July 15 at SC State University to learn about youth-led policy changes and how to advocate effectively. Hosted by the Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project and Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, the Summit featured Chris Suggs, a nationally-known social justice activist and founder of Kinston Teens in Kinston, North Carolina.
