–Photo Courtesy of Chiristina

Stacey Barchenger

Get moving.

Four years ago, Linfield students started a community outreach program to get people to do just that. With a little fine tuning, student directors have turned the activity-focused program into Linfield’s Kid Fit.

The goal of the after-school program is to teach Yamhill County students, ages 7 to 17, how to live healthy and active  lifestyles. Last year, about 30 area students participated, senior Cristina Konnecke said.

Konnecke and senior Laura Grambo are co-directors of the program this year. Both have been involved with Kid Fit previously, but this year they have assumed more responsibility in the program.

Kid Fit is an eight-week program, running from the start of March to May 1. It is held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m. at Linfield. Around 20 student volunteers help with different aspects of the program.

Although the after-school portion of the program is aimed at children and young adults, it strives to teach participants and their parents about living healthier.

Kid Fit includes two components to achieve this goal. The first hour of each day includes lessons about nutrition. Classes and lessons are led by seniors Brihtani Lassiter and  Susan O’Meara.

Lassiter and O’Meara combine activities such as worksheets and coloring to make the nutrition lessons more interactive for the students, who have already been in class all day, and have extra-short attention spans.

This year, the nutrition program teaches about portion sizes, hydration and the food groups. A new addition is the inclusion of a body image aspect.

The second hour of the program is devoted to getting the students outside, weather permitting, participating in non-competitive physical activity. Seniors Angie Nichols and Molly Taylor have designed indoor and outdoor activities to get the students thinking creatively and moving.

“This year we are going to have Linfield athletes come in uniform, and they will show the kids what they do,” Grambo said.

Three days are spent in the  pool, and this year there will also be cha-cha dancing and martial arts during the second half of each Kid Fit session.

“The program is unique to Linfield; there is no other Kid Fit anywhere else,” Konnecke said.

Although there are      other programs at universities and colleges that have children’s health programs similar to Kid Fit, Linfield’s program is special because of the less-than-participant role of the faculty adviser.

Janet Peterson, associate professor of health and human performance, is technically in charge of the program. However, it is the student leaders who have the control.

“Janet lets us do the work by ourselves and serves as an adviser in case we have problems,”  Grambo said.

Konnecke agrees with Grambo.

“(Peterson’s) confident in student-led programs,” she said. “She will only be involved as much as we want her to.”

Although Peterson doesn’t exercise complete control over administration of the program, she actively teaches an evening program to adults three times over the course of the eight-week program.

Older Kid Fit participants, usually between the ages of 13 and 17, do not attend the nutrition and physical activity courses with the younger kids. Instead, junior Kelsey French acts as a personal trainer, as that age group is generally smaller.

“It is more of a family thing; we try to get           family involvement,” Konnecke said.

The program is funded by money raised by its leaders. At the end of each year, the Kid Fit Fun Run or Walk, also sponsored by Order of Omega Honor Society, not only brings families together, but serves as the major fundraiser for the next year’s program.

“(The goal is) to encourage the whole family to come and be active with their kids who were in Kid Fit,” Konnecke said. “It’s like a big finale.”