Dallas Girls Get the Skinny on Healthy Living

After a stellar semester of successful training and planning, our college women mentors are ready to kick off their popular “Oh, Sugar!” workshop series on January 17 at Collin College in Frisco, Texas.

Play Like A Girl recently became a President’s Challenge Advocate to promote the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, the premier program of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. And, our mentors were recently selected by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to participate in the Media Smart Youth® Teen Leaders Program, a new community service opportunity for teens and young adults. Consequently, the 2015 Sugar & Spice Mentoring Program will include some new and exciting features such as fitness competitions and lessons on media’s influence on health.

The program is specially designed to help middle- and high-school girls identify and practice lifestyle changes that will assist them in achieving and maintaining healthy body weight and a positive self-image. The program components include monthly goal-setting; group mentoring and self-esteem workshops; leadership skills development exercises; fitness and nutrition activities; guided meditation and journaling; and, special guest appearances.

This year, girls in the program also will have the opportunity to earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (or PALA+) by choosing from a variety of activities to meet their personal physical activity goals — playing a sport, gardening, walking, running, yoga, and more — all while fueling their bodies with nutritious foods. It all starts with a commitment to being active and eating healthier (e.g., five servings of fruits and vegetables a day) for 6 out of 8 weeks of the semester-long program.

In addition, the girls and their mentors will compete for a variety of incentives based on achievement of their individual goals related to physical activity and eating behavior. The first prize pack includes two pairs of tickets to see Blake Shelton and Usher at the 90th Anniversary Celebration of United Way Dallas.

Our goal is to deliver consistent quality programs that enhance girls’ health and wellness and ensures meaningful hands-on activities that support a healthy lifestyle. Starting January 17, girls currently not enrolled in the program can attend any of the monthly workshops for free. Registration for each monthly workshop is available online at www.iplag.org/events/.