To improve cardiovascular Health in Kentucky, we need to start with our children. CVD is the leading killer and cause of disability in the United States and Kentucky. However, most of the risk factors for CVD are modifiable through behavior. The Health Promotion Schools of Excellence program was developed to promote and maintain healthy lifestyles. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, Healthy People 2000, healthy lifestyles should be in place during the adolescent and young adult years.
Childhood is the prime time for human development.
This is as true for the development of good health as it is for social, educational, and emotional development. Social behaviors such as smoking, dietary patterns and physical activity need to be addressed educationally and behaviorally, as do injuries, which have replaced infectious diseases as the greatest cause for concern in the health of children. Students spend all day at the facility where they alternate between classroom instruction and practical application of knowledge in an outdoor model city with miniature buildings, streets, railroad crossings, and traffic signals. The model city presents an opportunity for authentic assessment of skills through both pedestrian travel and use of miniature cars to practice concepts of vehicular safety. Visits to Safety City are scheduled through the department of Curriculum and Assessment, 485-3150.