Posts Tagged With: "Superstars"
Alcohol Awareness Month is coming soon...are you ready?
March 18, 2013
April is National Alcohol Awareness Month and it is right around the corner! At The Century Council, we celebrate the occasion with a multitude of activities throughout the month, and this year is no different.
For the third year in a row, The Century Council and Scholastic are collaborating to bring the Ask Listen Learn Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix program* to middle school students across the nation.
This year, our materials features Two-Time Gold Medalist and U.S. Women's Gymnastic s Team Captain, and Ask, Listen, Learn Superstar Aly Raisman! Aly recently joined our team of Superstars and will be supporting our efforts in fighting underage drinking and encouraging kids to make healthy lifestyle choices.
The materials include a teacher wrap, a student magazine and poster. This tool kit will provide middle school teachers of 5th and 7th graders with health lessons that explore students' priorities in life and the idea of a balanced lifestyle. Furthermore, it will also start a discussion regarding choices that can throw students off balance, and actions that help kids stay on track for a healthy lifestyle. Finally, the lessons will guide students on how to balance school, activities, family and health!
In addition to the print materials, teachers and parents will have access to the Scholastic microsites which will allow them to download the material and access free, fun and educational games at any time.
If you are a middle school teacher or counselor, we invite you to use these resources in April during National Alcohol Awareness Month to prepare your lessons, and find ways to engage with kids and parents! Get ready to join the conversation!
More > 0 CommentsA PSA from the Raisman family: Talk to your kids about underage drinking
January 18, 2013
Though Aly Raisman is a gold medalist captain of the US Gymnastics Team, the Raisman family is not unlike many families in America- busy hustling four kids to school and sports practices while balancing healthy lifestyles. Lynn and Rick Raisman know how essential it is to talk to their kids about the importance of making good choices, and Aly knows that each choice she makes must be on track with her fitness goals.
While the availability of alcohol to underage youth has continued to decline for over a decade, as has lifetime alcohol consumption, parents must continue the conversation to protect their kids. How do you keep your child on a path to success like Aly Raisman? Talk to them about the dangers of underage drinking. You may not think they're paying attention, but 8 out of 10 youth site their parents as the leading influence on their decision to not drink.
More > 0 CommentsMeet Aly Raisman, 2012 Womens' Gymnastic Team Captain and Two-time Gold Medalist
January 17, 2013
Meet Aly Raisman, 2012 Womens' Gymnastic Team Captain and Two-time Gold Medalist!
Gymnastics has brought so much to my life. I have learned to stay dedicated to my sport and that dedication really proves that hard work pays off!
My parents and I are partnering with Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix to spread this message I really hope others will join me in pledging to say YES to a healthy lifestyle and NO to underage drinking.
Read our Q&A with Aly Raisman to learn more about how she rose to the top!
Our first event with Aly was a huge success!
December 14, 2012
As you saw on Monday, the Ask, Listen, Learn team added an exciting new Superstar to our team: Aly Raisman. Today, the 18 year old hosted her very first Ask, Listen, Learn event at Persell Middle School in Jamestown, NY, and boy, was it a success!
The auditorium was packed with 500 kids, grades 5-8, and when Aly got up to challenge Principal Cammarata on our Xavix game, the whole crowd stood up to chant "Aly! Aly! Aly!"
Aly is the oldest of four kids, and she knows she is a role model for many young people. She stressed the fact that she wouldn't be where she is today if she had made poor decisions in middle school. Exercising, eating healthy foods and choosing the right kind of friends are all important choices that middle schoolers are faced with every day.
A select group of students got the mic to ask Aly about the Olympics and she enthusiastically recalled winning her medals and having fun with her best friends on the US Women's Gymnastics team. Lucky for her, she'll be reunited to perform with a few of the US Gymnastics women tomorrow night at the Disson Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular! Be sure to follow our tweets and watch the Spectacular when it airs on NBC January 19!
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Rebecca Soni and Tyson Gay fight childhood obesity
September 28, 2012
This Saturday marked the first official day of Fall! Before we dive into October and everything autumn we wanted to take the opportunity to remind everyone that September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in our country affecting an alarming percentage of our nation's youth. We couldn't think of a way to better raise awareness than have our superstar athletes talk to students about the benefits of staying active! This week the amazing Rebecca Soni and Tyson Gay encouraged kids at schools in DC and Philadelphia to say NO to underage drinking, but also talked to kids about the benefits of staying active and eating healthy! Our athletes train hard for their sport but love finding fun activities that get you moving and healthy food to keep their bodies fueled! In our interview with Rebecca Soni, she revealed a love for yoga, hiking, biking and long walks with her dog Kody. Tyson Gay discussed how he's constantly fueling his body with lots of water and nutrient rich food (he eats up to six healthy meals a day!)
Organizations all across the country are working to promote healthy eating and youth fitness and we're proud to support the cause alongside groups like the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign (check out our video from the JAM World Record yesterday!) and our partner program Together Counts just to name a few!
This week, kids at Paul Public Charter School in DC and Abigail Vare in Philadelphia learned from our superstars to say no to underage drinking but also to stay active, eat right and say YES to a healthy lifestyle!
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Mallory Weggeman overcame adversity to win
September 18, 2012
We're proud to work with many top-notch athletes as our Ask, Listen, Learn Superstars. Their drive and determination inspires us and over a million kids who have pledged to live a healthy lifestyle.
Mallory Weggemann is one of those Superstars. Mallory swam in the Paralympics that ended just a few short days ago. Just one night prior to the Paralympic Games opening ceremonies, Mallory's classification was challenged by an opposing team and subsequently changed. She went from swimming in a pool with people who had no use of their legs to a pool where the swimmers had most if not all use of their legs.
Despite the new challenge on the eve of the Games, Mallory continued on with her training and never gave up. Her coaches, family, and team all worried that the mental blow paired with the fact that she was now swimming next to swimmers who had use of their legs would shatter her dreams of winning a Paralympic medal. That turned out not to be the case at all as Mallory not only overcame the odds stacked against her to win a medal, but she claimed the gold medal in the 50m Freestyle. She wasn't ready to call it a day at that point though. Mallory was scheduled to be the anchor on a 4x100 meter relay team. When it came time for Mallory to jump in the pool the team was in 5th place, by the end of the race she had won the team a bronze medal and was .18 seconds away from winning the gold.
We couldn't be more proud of Mallory and all that she has accomplished. She took a bad situation and literally turned it into a golden opportunity.
Tyson Gay: Use the Summer Games to talk to your kids about underage drinking
July 16, 2012
The Summer Games are coming fast. I see this as a great opportunity for parents to speak with their kids about living a healthy lifestyle. I can assure you that athletes in London, like myself, have had to make hard decisions. For the most part, I and other top athletes I compete against have been lucky enough to make good decisions about underage drinking and living healthy.
I have a daughter, Trinity, and she is in Ask, Listen, Learn's target age group. I always tell her that I have always had to make sure to live healthy and make positive decisions so that I could continue to accomplish the goals I set for myself. I constantly point out to her that I have to take great care of my body in order to do my best, and that is true no matter what it is she wants to do when she grows up.
As parents, we have to remember that everything we do and everything we say is being watched by our kids and other young people who look up to us. It's important for me to remember the healthy decisions I had to make in order for me to reach my dreams and accomplish my goals so that I may use those stories as evidence of a formula toward a happy life for Trinity.
I have been fortunate enough to be able to use my track success as a teaching tool, and I encourage you to do the same. So as you sit down with your kids this summer to watch the Games or any other sporting event, use these tips on to start the conversation with them about saying “NO” to underage drinking:
- Point out that athletes reached this level of competition by making smart decisions that are helpful and not harmful for their body.
- Tell your kids how important it is to overcome setbacks and bad days and bounce back from a tough race or a step backward in school. I attribute my ability to bounce back from my injuries as perhaps my biggest strength. This applies to all areas of life.
- Encourage and help your kids explore their favorite things. I found my passion on the track, but some kids prefer the classroom or helping out in their community. Whatever they enjoy, help them set goals to become better at that each day and show them what steps they should (and shouldn't) take along the way in order to be their best.
- Use the positive atmosphere surrounding the next few weeks of action in London to sit down with your kids, discuss their goals, and take the healthy lifestyle pledge at www.asklistenlearn.com/pledge today.
Please take advantage of the this great chance to chat with your kids about the importance of saying “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.
Wish me luck!
-Tyson
Be sure to show your support for Tyson during the Games by following him at @TysonLGay!
Partnering with USA Swimming for a healthier future
April 4, 2012
We are pleased to announce our newest partnership with USA Swimming, the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States. The partnership is a key component of outreach efforts to parents and middle-school aged kids during Alcohol Awareness Month and beyond.
Parents, coaches and educators play a large role in influencing youth. The partnership with USA Swimming expands Ask, Listen, Learns' reach to active kids and parents. In partnership with USA Swimming, The Century Council will have a presence at Aqua Zone in Omaha where the 2012 US Swim Trials will be held June 25th through July 2nd. The Aqua Zone footprint will allow The Century Council to reach youth and parents through engagement on our interactive game and by providing compelling speakers to empower a captive audience. Ask Listen Learn ambassadors building out our swimming team include:
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