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Let’s Move Outside! is the outdoor activity component of
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity
within a generation. Led by the U.S.
Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Let’s Move Outside! connects children and families to America’s
Great Outdoors by expanding and promoting opportunities for healthy recreation
on public lands and waters.
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On Wednesday, March 23,
the White House welcomed 13 Champions of Change for Let’s Move! and Physical
Activity. First Lady Michelle Obama recognized these Champions for the work they are doing to inspire and
empower youth to lead healthy, active lifestyles. These individuals represented 12 different
states and ranged from from P.E. teachers and coaches to community leaders and
healthcare professionals who have developed diverse, innovative programs that
help young people get moving and have fun doing it! During the event, Champions shared stories of
how sports and physical activity had transformed their communities, and shared
some of the best practices they’ve identified through their work. To learn more about the Champions and their
programs, visit the official event page here. |
Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert
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On April 1st,
the Sierra Club’s Mission Outdoors team led an event at Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park to kick off the Month of the Military Child. Nearly 200 families of active duty and reserve
members visited the park to participate in free, outdoor activities including hiking
and fishing. The Sierra Club hosted the
event alongside the National Military Family Association, Armed Services YMCA,
the Outdoor Alliance for Kids and Blue Star Families. At the event Sierra Club
Board President Robin Mann announced the Sierra Club’s commitment to invest
$675,000 in programs that get military kids moving outside. National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis
also participated in the event, thanking the families for their service and their
commitment to protecting places like Prince William for the health and enjoyment of
all Americans.
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Photo Credit: Jessica Wahl
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On March 26, more than 30
students from four states joined First Lady Michelle Obama for the fourth
annual White House Kitchen Garden spring planting. The garden, which Mrs. Obama started in 2009, is
the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory
Garden in the 1940s. Today’s Kitchen
Garden has played an important role in the Let’s
Move! initiative as a way to start a conversation about the health of our
nation’s children. Produce from the garden is used regularly for White House
meals and events and is donated in significant quantities to local
organizations. |
Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert
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From Saturday, April 21
through Sunday, April 29, the National Park Service is offering a full FREE
week of fun at nearly all 400 national parks across the country. Get involved with
Let’s Move Outside! by pa rticipating in fun programs and
events taking place across the country. Keep an eye out for special,
family-friendly Junior Ranger events on National Junior Ranger Day, April
28th.
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NPS
photo by Cynthia Ocel, Acadia National Park
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