Media Advisory

April 29, 2004

Arbor Day Planting To Improve Children’s Health & Test Scores

What: Arbor Day Fruit Tree plantings by East End schoolchildren

Who: Urban Harvest, East End Healthy Children’s Collaborative, Rusk School Health Promotion Project and St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities

Why: Studies have shown that schools that integrate school gardens into their science and health curriculum improve their TAKS scores.

When: Friday, April 30th at 1 p.m.

Where: Rusk Elementary School (2805 Garrow, Houston, TX 77003)

Activities: Photo/Video opportunities with children planting trees Contact Linda Hinkle to coordinate or show up at school

Speakers:

• Diane Pavey, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities
• Gary Edmundson, Urban Harvest
• Laura Kennedy, Rusk Elementary School Health Promotion Project
• Rosa Martinez, Rusk Elementary School

Background: In 2002, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities launched the Houston-Harris County Youth Nutrition and Fitness Initiative in Houston’s East End to implement a multi-phase strategy—of which this school-based health/science project is part of—to address public health concerns surrounding the growing problem of childhood obesity. It is hoped that increased educational involvement with healthy food will help reduce childhood obesity.

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