Catherine Chang '11, Arielle Rodman '11, Reid Ravin '11

Striding for Better Health is a club through which P&S students can volunteer to help teenagers from the Washington Heights Community become more physically active and health conscious. The goal is to have fun and foster an enjoyment of exercise, as well as promote healthy habits, particularly in kids who may be at risk for health problems exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle. We work with 5th-8th graders involved in the Police Athletic League (PAL) after-school program at the 168th Street Armory. The girls and boys in the program receive both academic counseling and athletic time in the gym, and a group of Columbia Medical students has been going over to the PAL every Monday afternoon to play sports and games during the afterschool gym time. So far it has been a great success with both boys and girls literally begging for more gym time. We start out with a fun warm-up each week and play games that keep the kids (and us!) moving around while keeping as many as possible involved. Some favorites include various tag games, and basketball and soccer games. We try to encourage medical students with experience in a particular sport to help us run appropriate drills and team play so the kids in the program can experience a “team practice” of sorts in various sports. Striding for Better Health is a great way for the P&S student to get a little exercise, play games with kids, hone their teaching skills, and have a positive impact on the community.