ERIC Number: EJ794133
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1529-1944
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
I Sing the Body Electric: Description of an Innovative Health Promotion and Fine Arts Program for Adolescents
Phillips, Kathleen; Dietz, Julie; Borzi, Mark; Harrison, Gaye
International Electronic Journal of Health Education, v9 p154-165 2006
I Sing the Body Electric (BODY ELECTRIC) is a fine arts and health promotion program that supports communication of healthy lifestyle choices among youth. BODY ELECTRIC connects youth in 27 high schools with health and education communities in the largest rural geographic education region in a Midwestern state. The three-phase prevention plan designed to increase resiliency and reduce risk behaviors among adolescents begins with biennial regional administration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, with added questions designed to identifying the top health concerns of area youth. In the second phase, these health concerns are crafted into prevention messages by youth, using the arts as a medium of expression. University interns, local artists, and community health and prevention professionals mentor the students with their project ideas. On completion, students present their work at the biennial BODY ELECTRIC Arts and Health Festival. A comprehensive media plan forms the third phase of the program, featuring a prevention communication network of original broadcast programming that links student messages to a wider community. A region-wide tour of the arts/prevention project collection is delivered to schools and communities in the area providing another venue for the student-produced arts and health messages. Preliminary evaluation data were included to show the success of the program. (Contains 6 tables.)
Descriptors: Fine Arts, Health Promotion, Prevention, Public Health, High Risk Students, Programming (Broadcast), Adolescents, Mentors, Rural Areas, Life Style, Mass Media Use
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-213-7193; Fax: 703-476-9527; e-mail: info@aahperd.org; Web site: http://www.aahperd.org/iejhe/
Publication Type: Journal Articles
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A