Heart Health Education and Community Outreach: The Hope Heart Institute
Kids Take Heart™ is a health and fitness curriculum targeting anatomy, fitness, nutrition, stress and goal-setting. It was designed as a tool to equip children in third thru fifth grades to make lifestyle choices that promote fitness, health and wellness and lessen the likelihood of chronic disease and was developed and piloted by certified teachers in nearly 20 districts and 650 classrooms. An online training component provides graduate continuing education credits or clock hours and allows teachers to schedule a curriculum kit including all lesson materials for two months during the school year. Kids Take Heart aligns with national and state standards for health and fitness and is one model teachers can use to ensure developmentally appropriate, standards-based instruction is provided to students. Kids Take Heart also involves student health ambassadors in outreach to promote heart health information among families and the greater community. For more information, contact Laurie Sween at 425.456.8730 or lsween@hopeheart.org.
Youth Take Heart™ is a four-week comprehensive middle school science curriculum focusing on heart anatomy, the causes of cardiovascular disease, prevention of cardiovascular disease through heart-healthy nutrition and physical activity, and biotechnological solutions for repairing damaged heart and vascular tissue. It is a cutting edge science education program for 21st century classrooms, created by The Hope Heart Institute through a collaborative effort with The University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials, and MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement). The program evaluation uses pre- and post- unit surveys to acquire data on student knowledge and attitudes. After training, teachers are provided materials for the entire month long curriculum. Youth Take Heart also engages in community education and outreach, promoting heart health to youth and their families in local underserved communities. For more information, contact Meagan Jepson at 425.456.8717 or mjepson@hopeheart.org.
Teen Take Heart™ is a science-based cardiovascular program for high-school students. The program aims to promote wellness and prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) through a series of in-class instructional and kit-based lessons. Teen Take Heart™ incorporates the sciences of anatomy, physiology, and disease pathology, into engaging learning sessions to promote heart-healthy lifestyle choices, based on current best practice standards. The program is targeted toward underserved communities at high risk for cardiovascular disease. High school students are coached to serve as ambassadors to their community; organize and lead outreach events; and connect individuals, families, and communities to health-related resources. Additionally, exposure to health career options are embedded in the program and discussed throughout the students’ interactions with Teen Take Heart™. For more information, email Steven Palazzo at spalazzo@hopeheart.org.Women Take Heart™ is a community
education series targeting underserved populations, equipping women and their families with key prevention tools. The series blends hands-on instruction with expert speakers to send home the critical message: basic changes in diet and exercise can make the difference between life and death. Taste tests, ingredient substitution tips, movement classes, and blood pressure checks are all on tap. Family involvement and goal setting are woven throughout the event, and in the end, participants write S.M.A.R.T. goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. For scheduling, contact Meagan Jepson at 425.456.8717 or mjepson@hopeheart.org.Athletes Take Heart™ is an outreach program targeting athletes, teachers, coaches and parents to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, and the importance of knowing CPR and how to
use an Automated External Defibrillator. The message is that with community support, awareness, and proper training, we will have the means and the methods to save our youth when an unexpected, possibly fatal heart arrhythmia afflicts a seemingly healthy athlete. Focusing primarily on the high school and college aged population, this awareness is sure to save lives. For more information, contact Kayla Burt at 425.456.8706 or kburt@hopeheart.org.
