Helping underserved youth increase self-esteem and decrease obesity, bullying and other unhealthy behaviors.
We all want children’s lives to get off to a good start. But how does a child gain a positive body image and self-esteem when she doesn’t have a healthy perspective on food, when her community is struggling, or when she is bullied by — or bullies — other children and is dealing with today’s constant image of perfection on social media.
The Healthcare Academy is the ARDX Foundation’s answer. In partnership with local schools, foundation volunteers — including participants in our Smart Teens Accepting Responsibility Today (START) — have conducted more than 50 Healthcare Academies (HCAs). Our goal is provide fitness and nutrition education, tips, and tools so that young people are encouraged to live healthier, happier lives, build stronger self-esteem, avoid or improve childhood depression, and minimize bullying.
Our volunteer educators use age-appropriate techniques to teach children to make positive food choices, discover fun, safe ways of staying active and physically fit, identify and prevent aggressive behavior in themselves and others, and share their knowledge with peers and family members.