By

Ivette Lirio,   Hialeah Gardens Middle School

Play:

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Physical Activity Participation, Student Leadership, Success with Funds,  Teamwork

Using the Fuel Up to Play 60 funds, our school was able to order a fender blender pro bike for the students to make smoothies as a healthy snack and it has become the new healthy trend. The students are using low-fat and non-fat dairy with fruits and vegetables from the tower gardens as ingredients to blend while pedaling on the bike.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

The students and the adults which included administrators and teacher with the students are pedaling away with a new healthy option at school. They set-up the smoothie bike with the healthy ingredients and take turns pedaling to blend on a daily basis.

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

The healthy smoothies have become a new trend and the students and staff have gone crazy making daily samples. Every day the students and teachers show up with non-fat and low-fat dairy from milk to yogurt to blend with their fruits and vegetables. This has become the top notch healthy alternative and we are using the bike blender and tower garden the rest of this school year and next school year and beyond. The students have learned to use and maintain the bike.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

The students and staff have become involved in wellness and the Fuel Up to Play 60 team participants have sky rocketed. Everyone wants to be part of the smoothie craze and take part in some way in the process. It's thrilling to see the excitement for a healthier environment involving our Farm To School Play and Ramp Up For Recess Play being such as success.