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About Good to Grow!

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Latest Developments

Four Children's Museums Rank Healthiest Places to Play and Learn in U.S.
-- Association of Children's Museums Designates First Crop of Good to Grow! Museums --

Washington, D.C. - There is nothing funny about the rise in childhood obesity and other health concerns facing families with young children today. But there are fun ways to address some of the basic issues that contribute to children's health. Four museums -- Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage, California; The Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley in Bryan, Texas; and Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois -- have been ranked as Good to Grow! Museums by the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) for making significant strides to promote health and wellness to children and families in their communities.

Visit the ACM Press Room to download the full media announcement.

Become a Good to Grow! Museum

Earn national recognition from ACM and increase your museum’s credibility as a children’s health resource with funders, partners
and key audiences.

All Good to Grow! Museums are listed on GoodtoGrow.org and receive a recognition certificate from ACM and a Good to Grow! Museum seal to display in the museum. Good to Grow! Museums may use the Good to Grow! logo on marketing materials and museum Web site.

Your first step to becoming a Good to Grow! Museum is to begin the Self-Study process (log in as an ACM member and click on Self-Study), in which your museum benchmarks its health and wellness efforts and creates a concrete plan for advancing its work.

Questions? Contact Eliza Ward , Program Manager, Development & Special Initiatives

Partnership-Building Toolkit

Designed to help museums strengthen partnerships with other community organizations committed to children's health, the Community Partnership-Building Toolkit is a collection of resources that focus on choosing the right partners; initiating new partnerships; shaping
goals and outcomes; communicating with partners, media and the public; and assessing the effectiveness of partnerships.

Visit the online toolkit (log in as an ACM member and click on Partnership-Building Toolkit) to download worksheets, tips and sample documents to use in creating and strengthening your partnerships that support the health and wellness of children and families in your community.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Museums Publication

Coming Soon! ACM is publishing a book highlighting best healthy practices at children's museums. The book focuses on health-related exhibits, programs and initiatives and gives tips to guide replication at other museums.

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About Good to Grow!

Good to Grow! is a leadership initiative launched by the children's museum field and guided by the Association of Children's Museums
to support children's museums in providing healthy choices and activities for children and families in their communities.

Obesity is quickly becoming America's leading health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years among children ages six to eleven, as well as related diseases such as diabetes,
high blood pressure, sleep apnea, growth disorders and depression. Recent studies indicate that obese children rate their quality of life
as low as children with cancer. Experts believe that family education is the single most important factor in promoting healthy choices, yet parents are bombarded with confusing messages and competing priorities.

Clearly, help is needed to guide families along the path to health and well-being. The Good to Grow! leadership initiative is based on two main premises: 1.) The family is the most important factor in promoting children's health; and 2.) Families turn to children's museums for engaging activities, quality interactions and trustworthy information about child development and health.

In 2003, a consortium of ACM member museums convened to address these urgent issues, sharing a common belief that children's museums occupy a special role as trusted community resources and must take action now. Consortium members included Boston Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Chicago Children's Museum, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, The Children's Museum of Houston and Minnesota Children's Museum. In 2005, the ACM Board of Directors voted unanimously to assume leadership of this initiative.

Good to Grow! Framework

Vision
Good to Grow! will improve the health and wellness of families by positioning and supporting children's museums as community
leaders in promoting healthy choices through play.

Initiative Goals

  • Activate children and families as they visit our museums and participate in our programs.

  • Convene and sustain the conversation about the health of our young children and their families wherever there is a children's museum.

  • Improve the environment for our children by increasing the healthy options available wherever there is a children's museum, starting with the museum itself.

  • Strengthen the children's museum field through leadership on this issue and the development of new ways of working together.

Key Messages

  • Good to Grow! highlights the following key messages within its multiple implementation strategies.

  • Eating healthy foods in the right amounts;

  • Increasing physical activity;

  • Reducing screen time (including computer and TV); and

  • Connecting with nature through outdoor play.

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Partners

Program Partners  
  • We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a national public education outreach program designed to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. We Can! is unique because it provides practical tips and materials to parents and families in home and community settings. The We Can! Web site is a one-stop resource for community groups, health care professionals, and parents and caregivers with information, fact sheets, and materials to either download or order including a community toolkit, parents brochure (in English and Spanish), poster, PSAs and a wristband.

The program is a collaboration of four Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Cancer Institute (NCI).

 
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. AAP is committed to children’s health and recognizes childhood overweight and obesity as a serious health concern. The Academy continues to work for improvements in obesity prevention, treatment, advocacy and reimbursement.
  • National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters in 48 state-affiliated organizations. The NWF strives to remain a national network of like-minded state and territorial groups, seeking balanced, commonsense solutions to environmental problems that work for wildlife and people. Its mission statement is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.

    NWF partners with ACM on the Going Wild project.

 

Funding Partners
  • Civil Society Institute is a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank that serves as a catalyst for change by creating problem-solving interactions among people, and between communities, government and business that can help to improve society.

Insight into programs that have and have not worked in recent years has led Civil Society Institute to a unique model for addressing society’s most pressing problems. Simply stated, its approach lies in the way it serves as catalysts for change, especially in key areas of critical need: science policy and regenerative medicine, climate change and global security and economic change.

In each of these areas, we seek out examples of creative thinking and activities already underway, including those of individuals, community groups, businesses and the nonprofit and public sectors. We create interactions between people, communities, government and business in order to link successful programs to groups who can use them, to eliminate obstacles to success and to encourage informed debate of the issues. We also support these efforts with strategic planning and, on occasion, funding. Civil Society Institute is committed to improving society with breakthrough thinking and creative action.

  • The Trustees’ Philanthropy Fund of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund is separate from Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, with donor contributions that engage the Board of Trustees and the organization in direct philanthropy. The Trustees' Philanthropy Fund has granted more than $8.8 million to charitable organizations since its inception in 1991, and has delivered on fulfilling the Gift Fund's mission to further the American tradition of philanthropy.
  • The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

    Libraries and museums help create vibrant, energized learning communities. Individual achievement and success as a democratic society depend on learning continually, adapting to change readily and evaluating information critically. As stewards of cultural heritage, information and ideas, museums and libraries have traditionally played a vital role in helping us experience, explore, discover and make sense of the world. That role is now more essential than ever. Through building technological infrastructure and strengthening community relationships, libraries and museums can offer the public unprecedented access and expertise in transforming information overload into knowledge.

    The Institute's role is to provide leadership and funding for the nation’s museums and libraries, resources these institutions need to fulfill their mission of becoming centers of learning for life crucial to achieving personal fulfillment, a productive workforce and an engaged citizenry.

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Resources & Research

Visit www.GoodtoGrow.org, an online destination for families with children ages 2-10 links the children’s museum experience, home life and the broader community with compelling messages, engaging activities and accurate resources for living healthy lives.

Four Areas to Explore

  • In Family Fun, families plant a virtual Good to Grow! tree and help their tree sprout colorful stickers by answering health discovery questions.

  • The Gallery is the place where families can see a wild and wacky array of Good to Grow! trees created by other families.

  • In Grown-up Stuff adults can find tips and tools to support their family’s good health and connect with other parents online.

  • In Museums, families can learn about “Healthy Happenings” exhibits, programs and events.

Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper
ACM is delighted to announce the release of the Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper. This new ACM publication is a product of a dynamic
planning project funded by the Civil Society Institute, which explores the ways that children's museums can connect children to nature through outdoor play.

As part of the Kids Dig Dirt! planning project, ACM convened a Visioning Charette, which included museum professionals and partners from the fields of outdoor play, informal learning and environmental research and design for children. The group was challenged to envision the next generation of outdoor spaces at children’s museums that will inspire active play, exploration and respect for nature while improving the health of the community. The Green Paper proposes that children’s museums integrate outdoor spaces and experiences that connect children and families to nature. It describes the crucial impact that hands-on, immersive nature play can have on individual health, environmental health and sustainable development. It provides the vision as well as guiding principles and resources for developing outdoor environments in children’s museums.

Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper Delivery Options:

  • Free Online Download: Simply register with ACM to access a PDF of the publication.

  • Mail Delivery: Submit a publication order form along with payment to ACM. Limited print inventory.

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General Information & Research

Following is a list of materials and organizations that ACM program developers have been utilizing in the development of the Good to Grow! initiative. As Good to Grow! content pieces (the web site, tool kits, etc.) are produced, each piece will be vetted by an advisory board that will include medical, scientific, fitness, museum and education experts to make sure we have the latest, most accurate information.

American Academy of Pediatrics
Policy Statement on Obesity, 2003
Overweight and Obesity: AAP Resources
American Dietetic Association
Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids: Nutrition and Activity Guide for Parents
Food & Nutrition Web pages
American Heart Association
A Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States Statistical Sourcebook
Resources for Families and Teachers: Understanding the Problem
Centers For Disease Control
CDC's National Leadership Role in Addressing Obesity: June 2005
CDC Telebriefing Transcript: Overweight and Obesity: Clearing the Confusion. June 2, 2005
Overweight and Obesity: Resources
Healthy Schools, Healthy Youth
The Future of Children
Childhood Obesity vol. 16, no. 1, Spring 2006
Publication of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution
MedLine Plus
Exercise for Children
Obesity In Children
Connect for Kids
Obesity Resources

American Physiological Society
Obesity: Womb to Tomb
Obesity Research Quick Links
The research behind the recommendations.

American Obesity Association
Childhood Obesity
Trust for America's Health
F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2006
National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
E-Newsletter
There is no charge to sign up for this e-newsletter. Published twice each month, the email contains information on NCPPA activities, new research and reports, funding opportunities, news stories featuring physical activity and related issues, and upcoming events.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Beyond the Journal/May 2006: Healthy Young Children: Encouraging Good Nutrition and Physical Fitness
Resources for Encouraging Good Nutrition and Physical Fitness
Parent Resources
We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition)
The "Learn It" section includes background information on obesity and educates parents and caregivers on how to help families maintain a healthy weight by balancing energy IN (calories from food/drinks) and energy OUT (calories burned through physical activity).
Child Care Aware- The Daily Parent Newsletter
Food And Fitness - Making Healthy Habits A Family Affair, vol. 24
Show Them The Moves: Get Your Children Active For Life, vol. 38

healthfinder.gov (US Department of Health and Human Services)
Obesity Resources

Resources for Children

Kick Start Eat Smart!
Activities for Kids

United States Department of Agriculture
My Pyramid
Eat Smart. Play Hard
CDC's BAM: Body and Mind
Food and Nutrition
Physical Activity
KidsHealth
KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. Thorough sections for Parents, Kids and Teens.
Other National Health Initiatives
Action for Healthy Kids
Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Move for Health (World Health Organization)
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition (DHSS & NIH)
Shaping America's Youth

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Get Involved

To learn more about Good to Grow! and its activities, please contact Eliza Ward, ACM program manager, development & special initiatives, at 703.224.3100 x104.


Support the Going Wild Project

Children learn best through multi-sensory experiences. And children’s museums are experts in stimulating learning through interactive exhibits and programs. But hands-on learning can extend beyond museum walls. By providing direct experiences with nature, children’s museums can nurture healthy, active kids.

Reaching 31 million children and families worldwide, children’s museums have the opportunity to connect kids with nature through wild outdoor play spaces. The Going Wild project is a five-year endeavor that will create vibrant outdoor environments at children’s museums and offer related programming to connect kids to nature and give them a strong sense of environmental stewardship.





Going Wild will launch over the first two years at five pilot sites. The National Wildlife Federation will train museum staff and create a guide for parents to bring the experience home. In the project’s second phase, children’s museums nationwide will have access to tools and training to establish their own wild play spaces and experiences.

The National Forum on Children and Nature has endorsed Going Wild as one of 30 projects nationwide that creatively reconnect kids with nature, benefiting their overall health and appreciation for the great outdoors. By endorsing this project, the Forum celebrates its relevance, impact and sustainability. The Forum seeks to raise visibility and support for endorsed projects.

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Email: acm@ChildrensMuseums.org