Body Walk in Warren County September 27, 2010

Body Walk rolled into Warren County and set up at Sherman Avenue Elementary School. The weather was beautiful and the help was fantastic! When I parked at the school, a line of teachers, coaches, and adult volunteers from the Core of Engineers were lined up and ready to go.  The truck was unloaded quickly and the entire exhibit was set up within an hour.  I love it when teamwork makes the job go smoothly.

Thursday and Friday, high school students from the local Allied Health program served as presenters in each station. Some of the girls lined up groups and some handed out workbooks. A few handled passing out and taking up the quiz all third graders take when they come out of the exhibit. The rest were inside, teaching a lesson. Everyone did a great job.

Allied Health students make great Body Walk station presenters.

We saw K-3rd grade. Marcus Davis and Brenda McDevitt from Warren county were on hand to help make sure all aspects of the program went smoothly. They were great fun to work with.  Take down Friday went smoothly. Principal Ray Hume and several teachers helped with the take down. I’ve never heard a “Body Walk take-down” song before, but thanks to the enthusiasm of one teacher, now I have. It’s catchy.

Counting books to hand out.

Handing out books.

Passing out the quiz.

Body Walk in Chickasaw County September 23, 2010

Body Walk traveled to Chickasaw county and set up at Houston Upper Elementary School. Scott Cagle booked Body Walk for his county. Third grade toured the exhibit and they loved learning how to ‘be smart from the inside out.’

Local high school students volunteered as presenters inside the exhibit. They did a good job. They enjoyed teaching and demonstrating the props located in each of the stations.

Volunteers make it all possible.

To soon, all the children had finished their tour and it was time to take down the exhibit and head to a new county.

Body Walk in Grenada County September 17, 2010

Body Walk just finished up a week in Grenada county. Here we saw 1st, 4th, and 5th grades. It was non-stop Body Walk fun Tuesday through Friday as group after group of excited students learned how to ‘be smart from the inside out.”

We had many volunteers and they all did a great job. From set up, to station presenters, to take-down, everyone really worked as a team.

The kids were amazed to see the huge walk through exhibit. They loved the teeth seats, the realistic food models (especially the 1st graders who thought they were real at first), and the clogged artery model. When shown the ‘germ’ powder under the black light, a few kids just could not believe how fast germs spread person to person.

They were already familiar with the Organwise guys thanks to this:

Organwise Guys poster

and the food pyramid, thanks to this:

Food Pyramid in Grenada County

The students were happy to call out answers during the pathway of life portion of the tour, because they had a head start on some information. Their tour of the Body Walk reinforced earlier lessons.

Next week, Chickasaw and Warren counties.

Body Walk in Franklin County September 13, 2010

Body Walk just finished up in Franklin County, in Bude Mississippi. Here, we taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders the importance of being smart from the inside out. Cynthia Wilkinson booked Body Walk for her county.

Our volunteers were Extension agents and local adult volunteers. They all did a wonderful job. The kids were well-behaved and the principal was on site most of the day. It is a joy to work in schools where the principal is so hands on with programs.

The kids were very excited to see the exhibit in their gym and they had lots of questions. They loved the teeth in the mouth station. I could hear gasps and squeals of horror every time they saw the diseased black lung in the lung station. They came out full of information. I paused by the pathway of life several times to hear them call out answers as they were quizzed on what they had seen.

Working together to make it happen.

Next, Grenada county.

Body Walk in Pontotoc County, the SNAKE edition

Body Walk rolled on into north MS this week, this time into Pontotoc County. We set up at the West Height Baptist Church Family Life Center. We had a first. A baby snake came to learn about how to be healthy. Probably we could have used it for a small intestine prop, but alas, the snake had to be returned to nature, where it could decompose in peace. No one would pick it up alive. It was quickly dispatched and then removed from the building.  Very few of the kids saw it, and it was OUTSIDE the exhibit. Good thing considering how most people can only think ‘run’ when they seen a snake.

Pondering all the ways to be healthy.

We saw just over 300 kids from the third grade. Allied Health students worked in the rooms as our presenters and they did a great job. Romona Edge, County Director for Itawamba led the kids in Tai Chi as the exited the exhibit, showing the kids just one way to work healthy movement into their day.

Romona Edge leads the students in gentle exercise after a tour through the Body Walk.

Next up, Franklin county.

Body Walk in Lowndes County September 3, 2010

This week, Body Walk was in Lowndes County. Sharon Patrick booked Body Walk for her county. Wednesday we saw students from Franklin Elementary Medical Sciences and Wellness Magnet School. We set up at the YMCA in Columbus. Members from the Columbus Air Force Base helped set up and take down. They did a wonderful job. The kids from Franklin, K-5th, had a great time. Jennifer Purtell, the Medical Science Facilitator from Franklin and Melony Ford, from Columbus High School, Allied Health Instructor, helped the day run smoothly. Our volunteers in the rooms were Allied Health Students from Columbus High. They were full of energy (despite the heat) and they presented the material in an upbeat way that really got the kids attention.

If you don't brush your teeth, your mouth could look like Mr. GrossMouth

Eat fruits and vegetables and drink water to be healthy.

The calcium found in milk helps build strong bones.

Thursday, we were at West Lowndes Elementary. Shonenn Fant, school nurse was instrumental in making sure everything ran well. At WLE, teachers and staff from the school helped set up and take down. Despite a gym with no AC and mid-nineties degree weather everyone did a super job and had a wonderful teamwork attitude. Inside the rooms as presenters, we had Extension staff and a few adult volunteers. Everyone sweated and smiled in equal measure. All the students had a good time except for one boy. He said, “I thought we were going in a REAL body.” Since no one has invented a shrink ray, and I can’t imagine who would let tourists travel their internal organs, this student had to be satisfied with a FAKE body. Oh well, can’t win ’em all.

Ventilated for maximum air flow.

Door open, fan a blowin'.

It is always hotter inside the body walk than outside, so Thursday we had to take equal measures to make sure our volunteers could keep talking. Tying up the sides let extra air flow through the exhibit from the two HUGE fans that were running, one on each side of the gym. Lowndes County Extension kept the volunteers supplied with cold water. At the end of the day, they were hoarse, but hydrated.

Next week, Pontotoc and Franklin counties.