Over the past three years, community leaders in the small town of Clover, located in York County, have been motivated to make their community healthier. They’ve been taking steps to increase access to healthy foods and physical activity in various settings. Even a group of teens at Blue Eagle Academy joined the movement to impact their school community and surrounding neighborhoods positively.
The York County Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) team, made of up of students at Blue Eagle Academy who are also members of the Boys and Girls Club of York County, are focusing on increasing access to physical activity at their school and Junior Eagle Academy. They formed in 2015 as a result of the Let’s Go! South Carolina Initiative.
During the first phase of their HYPE project, they completed a beautification project in the courtyard of their school to create a more pleasant and safer environment. Through this project, which was a continuation of an initiative initially started with Lowe’s Home Improvement, youth refurbished flowerbeds, donated outdoor vases and plants and cleaned overgrown areas. Students can now enjoy outdoor activities in the courtyard.
In addition to the beautification project, the Youth Team donated portable play equipment to the Junior Blue Eagle Academy, which serves grades 3-5. During a planning session, the HYPE Team learned there wasn’t enough play equipment available for all of the students, so they wanted to do something to help. The team used some of their available funds to donate soccer balls, playballs, basketballs, hula-hoops, a flag football set, and storage equipment to the Junior Academy.
According to their lead adult advisor Rasheeda White, “When we presented the equipment to the school principal and lead teacher, they were surprised and happy to receive it. The students were happy too!”
Due to the successes of their first project, the HYPE Team received additional support for a continuation project to focus on a track and field located between the two schools. The school district has an open community use policy, which allows community members to outdoor recreational areas outside of school hours. Because the community uses the track and field for physical activity, and students use it during and after school, the HYPE Team knew they wanted to make improvements.
The HYPE Team recognized that keeping the dog-friendly area clean helps attract more walkers and runners, so they made cleanliness a high priority. In addition to the team keeping the area clean with litter pick-up on Thursdays, they will soon be adding doggie waste stations equipped with bags for dog walkers to use. The team will also be making basketball court improvements, such as purchasing and installing new nets and goals.
The York County HYPE Team is a true testament to the effectiveness of youth engagement. Not only did youth take the appropriate to steps to successfully advocate for outdoor improvements, but they also learned the importance of social responsibility and helping others.
For decades, youth have led social movements across the United States. They’ve been in the news a lot, lately, speaking out against and for issues that are important to them. But, did you know that youth have been leading a healthy eating and active living movement here in South Carolina? It’s called the Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project, and youth are finding out just how powerful their voices are, especially in Laurens County.
Through a community health improvement project, the Laurens County HYPE Team, hosted by Bridging the Gap Advocacy, a non-profit that addresses youth development, and in partnership with Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, recognized that their community isn’t as safe as it should be. They identified one of many important areas of need: safe passages near Sanders Middle School.
Like many adult-led community coalitions, youth ranging in ages 12-17, set out to make a difference in their community. They conducted a walkability assessment near Sanders Middle School, developed an action plan, and rallied to present their findings and request for improvement to the Laurens County Council. Youth asked County Council to make the area surrounding the middle school safer for students to walk, through the addition of sidewalks, street lamps, stoplights, crossing guards, and signage. Council agreed to purchase warning signs near the school. This success was just the tip of the iceberg, and they’re not giving up on the rest of their safety requests. They want to encourage decision makers to do more to make the area safer around the school.
These up-and-coming young leaders in Laurens County are continuing their mission of making their community a healthier place to live. They’ve already worked with a local master gardener, started a community garden, and given the harvest to residents. Plus, they received permission to revitalize an abandoned baseball field and built community support for improvements to make it a safe place to be physically active. Bridging the Gap Advocacy has held kickball tournaments and other physical activity events for the community at the new and improved field.
Youth plan to follow up with County Council regarding requests for making school safety a priority; host an after-school walk to Bridging the Gap Advocacy and invite decision makers to participate; start a petition regarding improvements near the school; and design and send postcards to decision makers regarding the need for improvements.
Through the HYPE Project, middle- and high school-aged students are learning how to become effective advocates for change in their communities. There are currently 13 HYPE teams in South Carolina; the majority of these teams are focused on safe and accessible places to be physically active and nutrition. Youth like the Laurens County HYPE Team are making change happen!
Kelsey Allen, MPH, CHES
Manager for Community Initiatives
Sit and wait. That’s the usual routine for parents and guardians of car riders at most schools. Dropping off and picking up children takes a lot of time, especially for parents who like to get there early. Listening to the radio or catching up on social media burns time, but there’s a healthier alternative in Anderson School District 4.
Because Anderson School District 4 is a health-conscience school district, personnel had the bright idea of encouraging parents to get out of their cars and spend that precious wait time walking. How much more active would that make parents? How much of a good influence would it be on the children to see their parents out walking when they leave school for the day?
With this in mind, Anderson School District 4 partnered with Eat Smart Move More (ESMM) Anderson County and the United Way of Anderson County to create and post signage that encourages parents to get out and walk during this time of day. ESMM Anderson County was one of six communities selected to receive funding from ESMM South Carolina over a three-year period, through a grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Using these funds, ESMM Anderson County purchased and installed signs at schools in Anderson School District 4.
Five different signs prompting Did You Know questions and answers were created:
Walking one mile can burn almost 100 calories.
Walking one mile a day can improve your mental health, boost your mood, and make you feel more alert.
You can burn 100 calories just by walking for 15 minutes.
Walking decreases your risk for high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and leads to a longer life!
Small changes make a big difference. Stop idling and get active!
Since the installation of the signs, school personnel have observed parents moving more during the pick-up wait time. School and community cultures of health are built on small steps such as these that encourage healthy behaviors, raise awareness, and decrease barriers. The partnership between ESMM Anderson County and Anderson School District 4 is a great example of two entities with a common goal can work together and come up with a creative solution. Here’s to a healthier District 4 and Anderson County!
The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, has awarded Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) $800,000 over the next three years to support Let’s Go 3.0, which will increase the capacity of community coalitions in South Carolina to identify and address barriers to healthy eating and active living. Coalitions will be able to apply for mini-grants to fund small-scale projects that are needed to help catapult their healthy eating and active living initiatives.
“Over the past several years, we’ve noticed that community change doesn’t always require large sums of money,” says Beth Franco, Executive Director of ESMMSC. “Many communities in South Carolina, particularly our small, rural, or economically vulnerable communities, can leverage small amounts of money to make a significant impact on the health of their community. We believe that these mini-grant opportunities will be a key factor in making sustainable changes and improving lifestyle choices.”
The application process will be open to community coalitions that need assistance in implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes that will increase access to healthy, affordable foods and safe places to be physically active. The mini-grants, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, can be used to implement projects, such as adding bike racks downtown, beautifying neighborhood parks or trails, or supporting local farmers’ markets.
South Carolina has the 12th highest adult obesity rate in the nation (32.3%) and the eighth highest obesity rate for high schoolers (16.3%). Current trends nationwide and in South Carolina show rates beginning to stabilize, suggesting that obesity-prevention efforts over the past decade are beginning to pay off.
“The next few years will be critical to ensure that the progress we’ve seen continues and our collective accomplishments are not undermined,” said Franco. “Through this grant, we’ll be able to help close the gap in many communities and increase opportunities for residents to make healthy choices.”
ESMMSC staff will continue to provide training and support to local coalitions to strengthen their capacity to make lasting community change. ESMMSC’s work with community coalitions currently reaches 36 counties, covering 93% of the state’s population. Recent trainings and reports have included topics like disability inclusion, grant writing, race equity, and the economic impact of active communities.
Over the past three years, six communities participated in the Let’s Go! South Carolina initiative, implementing strategies across multiple sectors to increase access to healthy foods and physical activity. Coalition members from each of the six communities – Anderson, Barnwell, Hampton, Kershaw, Laurens, and York counties – gathered recently to learn about their impact and to celebrate a job well done.
“We are so proud of the impact the Let’s Go! SC project has had over the past three years,” said Beth Franco, executive director of Eat Smart Move More South Carolina. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and leadership from these six coalitions.”
The Let’s Go! SC evaluation team spent a rigorous amount of time collecting data on the community projects to determine impact. The six communities had an impressive collective impact:
$1.3 million leveraged through grants, donations, and matched funds
36,327 students have access to healthier school environments due to partnerships with Alliance for a Healthier Generation
24,736 SNAP recipients in three counties now have access to fresh produce at farmers’ markets
43,985 people live within a mile of a park or path enhanced by a coalition
17 parks, playgrounds, and trails were improved
75+ youth were trained through the HYPE project
Evaluators also determined individual community impacts, which can be found here.
“Community work can be hard,” said Hannah Walters, senior project manager at ESMMSC. “Change always takes longer than we want or expect. But, the Let’s Go project has shown us just how rewarding and impactful incremental changes can be in a community. Whether it’s bringing a new partner to the table or getting a new trail installed in your community, we know that success comes in all shapes and sizes.”
The Let’s Go! South Carolina Initiative was funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
The City of Newberry unveiled two new accessible wheelchair swings recently at Marion Davis Park.
The swings, IP15 iSwings, are the first of their kind in the United States. Scott Sawyer, City of Newberry Parks, Recreation and Tourism director said that not only was it a great day in Newberry, but an even greater moment for the special needs community.
“This particular project started in the winter of 2015, so we’re about two years into this. Staff met with some parents of special needs children in spring of 2016 and in September 2016 the City established the first Recreation Accessibility Team,” Sawyer said. “Thankfully in November we secured a Parks and Recreation Development Fund Grant of $30,000. Once that came to fruition, we knew we could upgrade and get the best things for these kids and adults.”
The IP15 iSwings were manufactured by the Inclusive Play Company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Published in the Chronicle-Independent
November 10, 2017
Tall Longleaf pines stood silent guard as the first official hikers took to the Sweet Gum Trail in Camden on Tuesday afternoon. About 50 people participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of the 2/3-mile trail that now connects Scott and Woodward parks.
Tuesday’s ceremony took place at the Woodward Park trail head. Visitors entering the park from Chestnut Ferry Road just off West DeKalb Street can make a right turn after passing the park’s tennis courts and find the trail head next to a baseball field at the end of the road.
The 10-foot wide, paved trail winds through woods behind Woodward’s baseball fields, running just a few feet away from the railroad that cuts through the city near West DeKalb Street’s Donald Holland Bridge over the tracks. The Amtrak station can be seen through the trees at one point. The trail continues around behind the park before coming to a point where it heads straight toward Scott Park off Battleship Road.
That trail head meets Scott Park’s unpaved walking/running track. Hikers, runners and bikers wanting to use the Sweet Gum Trail from Scott Park will need to make their way nearly half-way around the track to meet the trail.
City Manager Mel Pearson welcomed guests to the short ceremony saying he knew the track was wide enough to accommodate both walkers and bikers at the same time.
“I know that because a young lady on a bicycle lapped us five times the other day while we got from one end to the other and I think there were a couple of walkers who lapped us also,” Pearson said.
Pearson said the Sweet Gum Trail marks the completion of Camden and Kershaw County’s first steps in creating a truly county-wide trail system connecting other trails and parks across the county.
“This is the first of that county wide plan. Now, I don’t want you to underestimate Kendall Park; it’s a very nice, half-mile trail over there. It’s a rubberized surface, but this trail has a lot of potential to be connected to other trails in the parks and we’re excited about the beginning here,” he said.
Pam Spivey, of Eat Smart Move More Kershaw County (ESMMKC), ebulliently declared Tuesday’s ribbon cutting a “dream in the making for years.”
“(We) used $65,000 in grant funding to hire all the planning to put together a county-wide pedestrian greenways plan,” Spivey said. “This plan was adopted by our city government and county government and because of that, decisions around existing upgrades and new construction … have allowances for our pedestrians, our parks, our streets. All these things are worked out before these projects begin.”
Spivey said the collaboration between ESMMKC, the city and county is why there is now an “amazing” opportunity.
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.
In addition to the beautification project, the Youth Team donated portable play equipment to the Junior Blue Eagle Academy, which serves grades 3-5. During a planning session, the HYPE Team learned there wasn’t enough play equipment available for all of the students, so they wanted to do something to help. The team used some of their available funds to donate soccer balls, playballs, basketballs, hula-hoops, a flag football set, and storage equipment to the Junior Academy.
