Happy New Year! 2018 is going to be another great year! We celebrate our major partner, Tampa General Hospital, who has supported us for 25 years. We are looking forward to working even more closely with Tampa General and their new CEO, John Couris, as we strive to improve the health and overall wellness of children and adults through prevention education.
MORE HEALTH is growing this year! One of our newest initiatives is to expand our Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program throughout Florida. Florida Safe Routes to School has funded us to develop a high school lesson and tool kit that will be offered in 20 school districts. Providing training to district leaders, kits for high school students to teach younger students, and teaching tips will ensure the success of the program.
We are also excited to expand our programs into Pasco County elementary schools. Our Pinellas County Major Partner, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, is providing additional funding to us to pilot the Bones Lesson and Nutrition Lesson in 10 Pasco schools. We hope this pilot program will lead to additional partnerships enabling us to teach all lessons, at no cost to schools, throughout Pasco.
We continue to focus on our Heart Lesson, Dental Lessons and partnerships to provide a school-based sealant program to Title 1 elementary students. Dental disease is the most common chronic disease in children and the most common reason kids miss school. I encourage you to read more about our Dental Lessons and Heart Lesson in the February issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. I am honored to be a guest editor for this issue to highlight these important health topics.
We wish you a healthy and safe new year and encourage you to join us in our efforts to provide prevention education in our community and beyond. I look forward to hearing from you.
Karen Pesce Buckenheimer
Executive Director