PAL Introduces Pilot Program – HIP Health Program for Teens

The Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) is now piloting an innovative after school course for middle school youth. The new program, Health Inspired Program for Teens (HIP!), was started in Sept 2011 with partial funding from Sequoia Healthcare District, Kaiser Permanente and the Berry Foundation.  The program was established to address the growing concern in the community about healthy outlets for at risk youth. This program takes a very broad view of ‘health’ by providing programs addressing physical, emotional and mental health youth issues.

The range of modules have included such things as, Hip Hop dance, Karate, gardening, basketball, healthy snacks and bullying. Upcoming modules include, cooking instruction at a profession kitchen, drug and alcohol awareness and swing and salsa dancing.  As PAL Director Tom Cronin says, “We are excited that PAL is providing a fun, safe and hands-on experience where middle school students will participate in a full range of ‘healthy’ activities.”  PAL has established this program to help meet some of Redwood City 2020 Community Wellness Objectives including:

• Increase easy everyday physical activity
• Make healthy food the easy, affordable and viable option
• Promote healthy practices in 2020 partner organizations so they serve as models for the community

PAL has approached this work as a real collaboration with the community and has partnered with the following groups to deliver the program: Global Resiliency Outreach Work (GROW), Somewhere2Turn, Bok Fu martial arts, El Centro de Libertad, Encore Performance Catering, Hidden Villa, and Teen Talk. For more information contact Tom Cronin at: tomcronin@redwoodcitypal.com.