The MCR Foundation along with The National Center for Youth Issues and Julia Cook founded this fabulous book for Ages 9 and up.
Bluebird, along with most everyone else at school, wants to flutter like the most popular bird in their class, Hummingbird. "You should go on a diet, and work out at the gym. You could flutter like me, if your body was thin." Bluebird takes this comment seriously and starts to develop unhealthy eating habits. Mom comes to the rescue by teaching Bluebird balance and by explaining that everyone needs to feel comfortable in their own feathers. With help from the Bird Doc and the Food Voice Counselor, Bluebird learns to control the Food Voice that is living inside. "I m working on balance one day at a time. If I keep working hard, I should be just fine." Paperback, 32 pages.
About the author:
Julia Cook Is nationally recognized as an award-winning children’s book author and parenting expert. The goal behind all of Julia’s books and efforts is to actively involve young people into her fun and creative stories and teach them to become life-long problem solvers.
Contact the MCR Foundation at dana@mcrfoundation.com to receive a copy.
THE LADYBUG PROGRAM (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL)
The LadyBug Program was implemented in elementary school classrooms in the Hamilton County school system in the fall of 2009. The goal of the program is to enhance children’s self esteem and offer the tools needed for making difficult decisions they will face in the future related to their health and well-being. It is the hope of this program that these children will begin to foster a healthy body image that will stay with them as they mature.
LadyBug Program Lesson Plan:
Class: Grades Second - Fifth
Duration: 30 minutes
Please email Dana@mcrfoundation.com for more information and for a copy of the book for your school. (423)-622-2666
THE BODY POSITIVE (MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL)
The Mary Cameron Robinson (MCR) Foundation has adopted a model for middle schools and high schools. It focuses on positive body image and self-esteem. Young people need acceptance with their peers and this program allows the MCR Foundation to help educate them on a healthy lifestyle instead of dieting.
“The Body Positive” program enables the MCR Foundation to promote the “Health at Every Size (HAES) model, which encourages people of all sizes to adopt healthy lifestyles.” With over 10 area middle schools and high schools, the MCR Foundation has over 1,000 teens to share this important, lifestyle-changing information with each school year.
History:
This program was founded in 1996 and since that inception they have been prove benchmarks that “body acceptance is the key” and the three components to its success have been education, attention and care.
Hundreds of youth have been trained by The Body Positive since 1998 when the first youth leadership group formed.
“Over 1,000 schools and communities have created their own body image programs based on The Body Positive's youth leadership model, including 525 school districts in the state of Illinois.”
More than a million children have viewed the BodyTalk videos and their videos have been distributed worldwide.
As of 2004, Channel One broadcast has shared The Body Positive’s Health at Every Size philosophy to eight million middle and high school students.
Philosophy:
The MCR Foundation promotes this philosophy because it encourages and supports the youth in our area to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This can be done by becoming physically active, consuming nutritious foods, developing healthy eating habits and attitudes, and developing self-respect which leads to peer support and positive body image. “These are the building blocks for sustainable healthy living.”
For more information or to schedule a visit to your classroom, email or call (423) 622-2666.
Additional Resources
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com