The mission of the Healthy Living Long Island Program is to teach children healthy lifelong habits from an early age. In 2018, medical students in the Community Service Club at the Zucker School of Medicine partnered with the principal at the Barack Obama Elementary School in Hempstead, New York to form the Healthy Living Long Island I Hempstead public health initiative. This program, which has been adapted from Maine’s Let’s Go! Program, is a model on how to teach children healthy lifelong habits from an early age. These habits are defined by the nationally recognized 5-2-1-0 guidelines, advising children to
- Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables;
- Spend no more than 2 hours on recreational screen time;
- Participate in at least 1 hour of physical activity;
- Drink 0 sugary beverages EVERY DAY.
The implementation of this program included 2 classroom visits to 3rd graders, introducing the 5-2-1-0 guidelines; 1 kickoff event at the Zucker School of Medicine with fun and educational activities to reinforce the 5-2-1-0 guidelines; and 1 final reinforcement lesson at the elementary school. This program is now in its’ third year of existence.
The Zucker School of Medicine is most proud to support URM, K-16 students on their pathways to becoming healthcare professionals.