Center for Health Transformation Georgia Project

As a follow up to the Microsoft HealthVault project "Be Well Columbus, Georgia" a video has been posted on the Microsoft HealthVault website highlighting the project.  Columbus, Georgia joins other health stories on the Microsoft website that embody Microsoft's vision to improve health around the world through software innovation.  Congratulations to the Columbus Research Foundation for leading this effort and getting Georgia 'on the map!'

Be Well Columbus, Georgia Awards Ceremony

The Be Well Columbus, Georgia Awards Ceremony was held on May 18th at Arnold Magnet Academy, school of the winning homeroom.  The Be Well Columbus, Georgia Project is a pilot project instituted through the Muscogee County School District 7^th graders and was made possible by a grant the Columbus Research Foundation received from the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund.  During a three month period from January 17 until April 24, 2009, participating students were encouraged to increase their physical activity as they took a virtual walk across the United States and to check their daily meal, snack and drink intake.  This data was logged on the Be Well Columbus, Georgia/Walk to Microsoft website, which was developed specifically for this project. 

 

After words from Mayor Jim Wetherington, Bill Reid of Microsoft Corporation, Laura Linn of the Center for Health Transformation, Mike Gaymon of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Valerie Fuller of the MCSD, and Susan Wood of the Muscogee County Council of PTA's, awards were presented to the students by Royce Ann Adkins and Pam Tinkler of the Columbus Research Foundation.

 

First place went to Mrs. Ronda Allen's homeroom at Arnold Magnet Academy.  The 7th grade students in this homeroom were the first to log enough miles walked to reach Bellevue, Washington, home of the Microsoft Corporation.  The 2nd place winner was the homeroom of Mrs. Sara Davis at Marshall Middle School; 3rd place went to the home room of Mrs. Melissa Niemi at Arnold. 

 

The overall goal of the project was to teach and instill healthy lifestyle choices in the area’s adolescents, thereby preventing diabetes and other metabolic disorders associated with being overweight.  Over 1000 students participated in the project.  It was encouraging to see adolescents engaged in their health.  This project serves as a great model for other communities interested in improving the health of their children.

Microsoft Be Well Fund Project Update

 

 

 

The Columbus Research Foundation ‘Be Well Columbus Georgia Project’, made possible by a grant from the Microsoft Corporation Be Well Fund, kicked off January 17, 2009 and will come to a close April 24, 2009.  It was offered on a voluntary basis to all twelve middle schools of which ten chose to participate.  The district has 3500 seventh graders enrolled and about 900 signed up along with 100 teachers.

The project is a competition among homerooms and hinges on an interactive website, www.walktomicrosoft.com.  Students log daily physical activity in the form of steps or miles by using a pedometer and log their daily food intake.  They are taking a virtual walk across the country with their logged miles and end at the Microsoft Corporation in Bellevue, Washington. Each participating student and the teacher of the first homeroom to collectively accrue 2977 miles and reach Microsoft will win a Wii, Wii Fit and a game of their choice.  Other incentive prizes, including new tennis shoes, are being awarded as they reach designated mile markers.

Students, parents and teachers say that they have become much more aware of junk food and idle lifestyles since they began the Be Well Project.  Students are motivated by their pedometers to log more steps and have learned to read food labels.  Many are reporting actual weight loss.  Others report they have insisted that their families join them in daily walks or gym memberships.

The competition has heated up as the end date approaches.  One homeroom moved from being ranked number eight to number three in less than two weeks.  Keep checking this blog for updates – we will recognize the winning class and their teacher!

Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Program Launched in Columbus, GA

On Saturday, January 17th over one hundred middle school students, teachers, and citizens of Columbus,  Georgia participated in the launch of the Microsoft Be Well Program at the Soccer Pavilion at Columbus State University.  The program is a result of a grant from the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund to the Columbus Research Foundation.

The program is aimed at improving diet choices and increasing activity in 7th graders.  Students from all 7th grade classes in Muscogee County will participate in a “Walk to Microsoft” contest. The students will log miles from their pedometers into the computer using an interactive map of the United States.  The first 7th grade class to reach Microsoft will be the grand prize winner.  Over 800 students have registered for the program.  

At the launch, 7th grade students received their pedometers and Be Well Columbus GA tee-shirts.  Activities on the soccer field included a hula hoop contest, sack race and tug of war.  Students were also greeted by Buzz, the Be Well Program mascot.

Columbus, Georgia is one of the Center for Health Transformation's 21st Century Healthy Communities.  The Be Well Program is one of several initiatives in Columbus, Georgia aimed at improving the health of the community.  For more information visit www.healthtransformation.net/cs/columbus_project. 

Columbus, GA: Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund Grant Recipient

Childhood obesity is growing and its associated medical problems are recognized as one of the most important health issues in children and adolescents in the United States. From 1995 to 2004, the prevalence has increased in boys from 14% to 24% and in girls from 15% to 26%. As obesity increases, rates of diabetes and pre-diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol (lipid) disorders are increasing. It is also particularly alarming that the blood pressure of children and adolescents has increased over the past decade.

As one of 12 national recipients of a Microsoft Be Well Fund grant, the Columbus Research Foundation and Columbus Regional Medical Center are developing a Microsoft® HealthVault™ application and associated web resources to develop a program for 7th grade students in Columbus, GA to learn positive lifestyle choices and follow and record their own personal lifestyle modifications.  The goal of the project is to improve the diet choices and level of activity of the children.  This competition is city-wide and includes all public 7th grade classes. The program will use caloric intake, personal activity, and an interactive map of the United States to show students how far their class has walked as a group along the path from Columbus, GA to Microsoft headquarters in Bellevue, WA. 

This program is an opportunity for 7th grade students in Columbus, Georgia to learn positive lifestyle choices, follow and record their own personal lifestyle modifications and compete in a city-wide program for lifestyle improvement. Each student will create an account and design an avatar to resemble them. They will then record their daily meals and snacks which will make the avatar either shrink or grow depending on what was consumed that day.

The project will launch in January of 2009.

Follow the progress of the Columbus Be Well Fund Grant Project at http://walktomicrosoft.com/default.html