It’s Never Too Soon To Start-- CHEC Helps Kids Explore Health Careers, Healthy Lifestyles This Summer

Combining summer fun with live, interactive learning opportunities, Children’s Health Education Center (CHEC) is offering a variety of activities for children ages 5 – 15, June through August. Children’s Health Education Center, a member of Children’s Hospital and Health System, was founded in 1996 and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June. CHEC offers resources and programs for children, teachers, parents and caregivers to help keep kids healthy and safe.

Milwaukee, WI (PRWEB) June 18, 2006 -- Combining summer fun with live, interactive learning opportunities, Children’s Health Education Center (CHEC) is offering a variety of activities for children ages 5 – 15, June through August.

Teens explore health care careers

In the next 10 years, one in three jobs will be related to health care. With that in mind, CHEC has created the Health In Practice (HIP) Careers Camp, a week-long experience designed for students entering grades 7 – 10 this fall. HIP Careers Camp opens the door to job opportunities in health care by exposing participants to the wide range of career possibilities within the rapidly expanding field.

Running from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, the camp includes a self-assessment, team-building and live video demonstrations. It also features guest speakers from a variety of specialties such as dermatology, sports medicine, emergency management and health care administration. In addition, participants visit Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and other Milwaukee-area health care organizations. The one-week camp costs $129, which includes registration, a camp T-shirt and snacks.

HIP Careers Camp dates are:
June 19 – 23 or July 10 -14 for grades 7 – 8;
July 31 – August 4 for grades 9 – 10.

Kids play and learn at CHEC

Fitness and Nutrition Expedition I, geared for five- to seven-year-olds, is a half-day program that stresses the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. It also covers basic body systems. The information is presented through creative, hands-on games and other activities designed to entertain little listeners.

A similar half-day program, Fitness and Nutrition Expedition II, covers the same topics in greater depth and detail. This program, suitable for children eight to 10 years old, includes a lively game show, a relay race and digital pulse monitor to show how physical activity affects the heart.

Both programs are $10 each and are offered as follows:

Fitness and Nutrition Expedition I
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., June 29
12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., July 11
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., August 3

Fitness and Nutrition Expedition II
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., June 30
12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., July 27
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., August 15

In addition, CHEC has created a full-day program called Operation Healthy Habits. It gives kids a day of hands-on learning about nutrition and physical activity. Designed for 10- to 13-year-olds, Operation Healthy Habits also covers healthy snack preparation with tips and advice from chefs from the American Culinary Association’s Chef and Child program.

Operation Healthy Habits keeps kids on their feet, thanks to exercise-themed games such as “Activity Bingo” and “Who Wants to be Healthy?” This action-packed program costs $20 and runs as follows:

Operation Healthy Habits
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 21, July 13, July 25 or August 2.

For more information on any of these programs or to register, contact Children’s Health Education Center at 414-390-2164.

About CHEC

Children’s Health Education Center, a member of Children’s Hospital and Health System, was founded in 1996 and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June. CHEC offers resources and programs for children, teachers, parents and caregivers to help keep kids healthy and safe. Last year, more than 90,000 children and adults experienced the center’s high-energy health education, including popular field trips and outreach programs. The only one of its kind in Wisconsin, the center is one of 38 health education centers nationwide. For more information, visit CHEC’s Web site at www.BlueKids.org.

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