Future Teachers, One From Montville, Help Kids Stay Fit While Having Fun

Montville’s Timothy Nott is a future teacher; an education major at Western Connecticut State University. And he is also the president of the 20-member Education Club at WCSU that launched a community service program that helps middle school students learn how to make healthy lifestyle choices as part of the ‘Have Fun, Stay Fit’ program to fight childhood obesity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well being. In fact, recent studies have found that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.  

“The ‘Have Fun, Stay Fit’ program will bring awareness about childhood obesity to the Danbury community,” Nott said. “This is not just your ordinary school program. We hope the students and parents can bring the information they learn back to their families, so that everyone can learn how easy and fun it can be to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.”  

The future teachers are working with 100 sixth grade kids from Broadview Middle School in Danbury on the which includes information on how to stay healthy and active, while having fun. The events include smoothie making, an obstacle course, a relay race, Zumba, and other physical activities.  

Nice work, Timothy!  

Here’s the rest of the story from Western Connecticut State University:  
The project is funded in large part with a Community Learning Through America’s Schools (CLASS) Grant from the National Education Association’s (NEA) Student Program.  

Working closely with Connecticut Education Association (CEA) and NEA, the education club looks to spread the message that healthy lifestyle habits, including eating right and exercising, can help reduce the risk of becoming obese.  

The CLASS grant will help them do just that. CLASS projects are taking place all over the country. Since 1989, college students on more than 200 campuses have become involved in giving thousands of children hope and a promise of a better tomorrow. Simply put, CLASS projects are NEA student members, working with others, for community improvements.