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May 15, 2018 | News
Providing youth and adults with an inspiring and engaging experience at the Youth Summit requires quality speakers and a guaranteed enjoyable time. That’s what this year’s headliner does every day. National award-winning training agency Leading to Change out of North Carolina will help lead a day of inspirational messages and skill-building experiences for South Carolina’s youth at the 6th Annual Youth Summit on July 27th in Columbia.
“We’re looking forward to having Leading to Change facilitate the Youth Summit,” says Trimease K. Carter, Youth Engagement Manager at ESMMSC. “They will provide a fun, highly interactive experience filled with laughter, music, and engaging breakout sessions.”
Leading to Change will provide two breakout sessions geared towards leadership skills and diversity. PLAYING WITH FIRE: Conflict, Communication, and your TRUE COLORS of Leadership will help participants identify their leadership style and learn how to work better with others. BEYOND RACE: Diversity, Culture, and Our Commonalities You Can’t See will address how to think outside of the racial divide and see people for their cultural backgrounds rather than their race.
“These two breakout sessions speak directly to what we address in The HYPE Project – working together to achieve a common goal,” says Carter. “Our youth will build a leadership foundation that can be used in their communities to achieve success.”
The Youth Summit is open to all youth who are interested in making their voice stronger and those who are involved with youth-serving organizations. Adults leaders and ESMMSC community partners are also invited to attend. Registration is open now through July 20th.
“If you haven’t experienced Leading to Change, then you might want to make plans to attend the Youth Summit on Friday, July 27th in Columbia,” says Carter. “I’ve attended one of their trainings, and I can honestly say that it was the most engaging and fun training I’ve ever attended. I think our youth and adult attendees will highly enjoy spending a day away from home and work.”
Apr 17, 2018 | HYPE Civic Action Projects, Impact, News
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!
Apr 17, 2018 | Impact, Mini-Grant Projects, News
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!
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Apr 16, 2018 | News
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) is pleased to announce the selection of Phillip Ford as the Manager of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Support. Phil brings extensive experience in the nonprofit, political, and healthy eating and active living fields. He replaces Hannah Walters, who moved out of state.
As the Manager of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Support, Phil will work closely with ESMMSC’s Advocacy Committee to implement advocacy and policy initiatives related to healthy eating and active living at the state and local levels. He will also oversee the Healthy Vending in Public Places Campaign, and will also connect advocacy efforts with community coalitions and state partners. Also, Phil will be involved in the Let’s Go! 3.0 project and provide technical support to various community coalitions around the state.
“I am optimistic that we can create a healthier South Carolina through healthy eating and active living by one idea, one person and one community at a time,” says Phil.
A native of Orangeburg, he attended The Citadel, where he majored in Political Science with a focus in American Government. After spending nearly a decade out of state working on Presidential to City Council races across the country, Phil wanted to come back home to help his state and community. He most recently worked as the grant writer at The Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, where he successfully wrote grants that amounted in nearly 1.5 million dollars of funding for the hospital system in a year and a half. He was also actively involved in the Eat Smart Move More Orangeburg-Bamberg-Calhoun chapter.
Phillip enjoys playing tennis, participating in local theatre groups, and volunteering his time for the improvement of his local communities. Currently, Phillip serves on the boards of directors for the Orangeburg-Calhoun Free Medical Clinic and the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center.
If you would like to reach Phil, please email him at phil@eatsmartmovemoresc.org.
Apr 13, 2018 | News
Who’s a healthy eating active living leader in your community? They can be instrumental on any level of community work. Leaders may be a local planner or city manager that is committed to healthy bikeways and walkways, because it is good for health and economic development. It may be a superintendent of a school who is committed to a robust wellness plan for schools, because a healthy school environment is good for students. It may be a young person who is working with peers to create permanent change to create better access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or more safe places for families to be physically active.
Tell us about a healthy eating active living leader in your community. We’ll spotlight them in our newsletter, on our website, and at the Leadership Summit for Healthy Communities in October. Nominate them by completing the survey. To nominate more than one person, you must complete a separate form. Just click on the original link in your email and nominate more!
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE YOUR NOMINATION
Apr 4, 2018 | News
Apr 4, 2018 | News
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Mar 23, 2018 | Impact, Mini-Grant Projects, News
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.
For more information about the Let’s Go 3.0 initiative, visit our Let’s Go! Grants page or contact Kelsey Allen at kelsey@eatsmartmovemoresc.org. To find healthy resources in your community, visit www.letsgosc.org.
Mar 23, 2018 | News
In partnership with the South Carolina Hospital Association, Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) helped kick off the third annual A Healthier State House Challenge in late January to catalyze the state lawmakers, their staff, and lobbyists toward improving their health by providing tools and resources for healthy eating and active living. Last year, more than 100 state lawmakers signed up for the challenge.
Representative Neal Collins, who serves on ESMMSC’s Board of Directors, is leading the way again this year to help make his workplace environment healthier. “We want to set an example for all South Carolinians. Healthier food choices and more physical activity can prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases that rob South Carolinians of a quality life and cost all of us a lot of money,” Collins said. Senators Thomas McElveen and Sandy Senn have joined the ranks of chamber champions as well, leading by example and motivating their team members.
According to a FitBit Case Study, participants made significant changes in just the first year of the Challenge.
- Eighteen percent of participants lost significant weight and were no longer considered overweight or obese.
- Seventy-eight percent of participants with elevated total cholesterol were able to reduce it.
- More than 9,000 steps were taken on average per day in the final month of the program. The top team averaged 10,907.
- Thirty-one inches cumulative reduction in waist circumference, which is associated with decreased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
These results continued through year two, with changes in weight, BMI, and waist circumference showing statistically significant change over time. Fitbit steps continued to rise, with the legislative teams daily averages above 10,000 steps per day. All the teams averaged more than 30 active minutes per day, which puts them at more than 210 weekly minutes; well above the recommendation of 150 minutes per week.
So how does it work? Participants join a pre-determined team according to their role at the State House: SC Senate, SC House, SC Staff, and SC Lobbyists. Participants are offered screenings for cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference. They’re provided resources on how to make healthier food choices, how to live a tobacco-free life, wellness guidelines, ask the trainer/dietitian, connection to their local healthcare system, and several other resources that will help them stay on track.
FitBits are used to objectively track steps and active minutes, which automatically loads to an online dashboard, Fitbit Health Solutions, for tracking and trending. Other fitness trackers can be used; however, the data must be manually entered. Team based challenges are issued through the Fitbit dashboard allowing participants to track their teams progress, message each other, and see where they stand among the other teams with their Fitbit mobile app. Activity soars during these competitive challenges. At the end of the legislative session, participants are screened once more to find out what kind of change occurred.
“Using their activity tracker, along with the dashboard, app, and services provided by A Healthier State House partners, and Fitbit Health Solutions, we’ll be able to engage in some continued healthy competition, encourage each others’ progress, and stay active as a community,” said Collins. “This year we have a new exciting opportunity to compete against the Vermont State House teams, since they’ve joined A Healthier State House and the Fitbit dashboard through SCHA’s partnership with the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Healthcare Systems.” #toomuchsweettea vs. #toomuchmaplesyrup
To keep up with who’s leading the way in the challenge, visit the A Healthier State House website or following them on Facebook.
