The Somerville PEP “Healthy Living in Somerville” map, available for a close-up view at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/pep.

By Tom Bannister

The Somerville Physical Education Program (PEP) has been promoting a healthy culture throughout the year, working across the city with youth and community partners.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant, is a federally funded grant program designed to award money to local education agencies and community-based organizations to help them initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs for students in grades K through 12. Somerville was awarded nearly $1.4 million in grant funds over three years. The goals of the program (PEP) grant are to foster healthy eating habits and increase physical activity for all Somerville students, with a particular focus on Kindergarten through grade 8, and to work with community partners to improve overall health and fitness across Somerville.

The program provides grants to LEAs and community-based organizations (CBOs) to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after-school programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Grant recipients must implement programs that help students make progress toward meeting state standards.

Somerville PEP initiatives and activities include:

SchoolCenter Picture Increasing Physical Activity for Kids

SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids): A researched physical education program implemented in all K-8 schools as well as in school based afterschool programs and three community based afterschool programs.

BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success): A before school physical activity program introduced at the Argenziano and Winter Hill K-8 Schools during the 2014-2015 school year, which will be expanded to additional schools during the 2015-2016 school year.

Community Adventure Programming: Parkour classes, rock climbing programs at Metro Rock, kayaking with Waypoint, and Appalachian Mountain Club Youth Opportunity Programs were expanded and will continue to be expanded in collaboration with Community Schools afterschool program, the Somerville Recreation Department, and Somerville Boys and Girls Club.

Supporting Healthy Eating Habits

National Nutrition Month Celebration: Taste tests and healthy eating demos offered during the month of March in collaboration with the Somerville Food and Nutrition Services Department and the UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program as well as our PEP Grant’s community partners. Read more about Somerville’s National Nutrition Month Celebration events in the Somerville Farm to School blog.

School Garden Activities Seeding and sowing projects through Somerville Farm to School.

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Community-wide physical activity & healthy eating family workshops, offered in collaboration with the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative and Community Schools.

Let’s Get Cooking: An afterschool cooking club offered at two schools in collaboration with the Somerville Community Schools afterschool program.

More information on PEP and its programs can be obtained at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/pep.