Fun, Fit, Fabulous Fitness Plan: A Service Project Fostering Interactive and Fun Learning of Middle School Health and Wellness Topics

Abstract

This thesis was a service project, which took place at Girls Incorporated in Lynn, Ma. The hypothesis was that after a 10-week duration, 6th grade girls would have had fun learning new things about health and wellness that they had not known before. During the months of October through December of 2015, I taught a program that I had designed for a group of 6th grade girls for their afternoon Odyssey Programs. The girls in both of my two classes spent an hour once a week doing activities, that were both interactive, informative, and easily practiced at home. The program covered such topics as eating balanced meals, being properly hydrated, staying active using fun exercise techniques, and exploring new activities that benefit the mind and body. The evaluation was a survey given before and after the program, measuring a foundation of the knowledge the girls had already had before the beginning of the program as compared to after. The after results showed that the girls had learned new things regarding their health. Because the program was asked to return for a second semester of teaching, it can also be assumed that the pilot program was also successful in terms of excitement and fun. The goal of creating a fun and informative workout program focused on girls at an age of easy influence was achieved by the data supporting the idea that after 10 weeks of class, the girls learned better more appropriate ways to remain healthy into their teen years.