The Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL), in collaboration with Collective Prevention Services (CPS), Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, are making lesson materials available at the library for educators who wish to incorporate the “OrganWise Guys” nutrition and healthy lifestyle lessons into their curriculum.
The international “OrganWise” project is an effective nutritional and exercise awareness lesson directed toward children. The project presents the inner workings of the human body by using puppets, made up of various organs in the body, to teach children of all ages the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and which foods are healthy and which are not. Obesity is an important cause for many diseases and the “OrganWise” program aims to tackle this problem by educating children at an early age. When children are taught how and why it is important to live a healthy lifestyle they are more likely to make healthy choices and also educate their parents on healthy meal choices.
In April of 2014, Aukje de Jong, the Program Facilitator representing the library, and Swinda Richardson, a Nutritionist at Collective Preventive Services (CPS), first introduced the “OrganWise” lessons in primary schools and afternoon schools on Sint Maarten. The lesson materials that are now available to educators can be borrowed for 3 weeks. These activity modules can be used as short daily exercises or incorporated into the curriculum with a weekly video. Children learn about health and nutrition through song, when learning timetables or learning words which are drilled as a type of boot camp. Physical activity is also incorporated into the program.
More information about the international “OrganWise” project can be found at www.organwiseguys.com. Information about the “OrganWise” project on Sint Maarten can be obtained from Aukje de Jong, via e-mail address organwise@gmail.com.
