Department of Health

Let's Move! Celebrates its 5^th Anniversary

February 9, 2015 will mark the 5^th anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative.  As a Let's Move! City, St. Louis has been participating with this initiative for the last four and a half years and has celebrated each anniversary by conducting activities in support of the five pillars of the initiative: creating a healthy start for children; empowering parents and caregivers; providing healthy food in schools; improving access to healthy, affordable foods; and increasing physical activity.  This year is no exception.  We will be commemorating this program through a number of activities in the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) and with a local area daycare.

Saint Louis University's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in partnership with the City of St. Louis Department of Health will be delivering nutrition education to students at five area SLPS elementary schools.  As a part of those educations, students will learn about growing and selecting healthy foods, food access and being physically active to improve health.  Students will participate in video "shout-outs" to the First Lady celebrating this important anniversary.  Additionally, SLPS's Monroe Elementary School will be putting on a special program to honor the occasion.  Students in the after school program will perform a special routine created especially for Let's Move! Later in the school year, all 32 of the elementary schools within the district will continue their partnership with the Let's Move! initiative by participating in a district-wide, flash mob doing the Let's Move! Move Your Body dance.

Mary Margaret's, a large, local daycare facility, will also be commemorating this important anniversary.  Children in this center will be learning about healthy food using Choose My Plate and participating in fun physical activities.  These activities are provided as a component of I am Moving, I am Learning, a program that complements the Let's Move! initiative and is targeted to preschool age children.  These education activities will be conducted by staff from the City of St. Louis Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Children and Adolescent Health.

In addition to the 5^th anniversary of Let's Move!, the City of St. Louis has something else to celebrate.  Late in 2014, the City earned two additional Let's Move! awards, bringing the total number of awards earned by the City to seven.  The National League of Cities awarded St. Louis with silver and gold medals for Goal I: Start Early, Start Smart.  This goal was focused on efforts to enhance child care by incorporating the five goals of Let's Move! into annual childcare provider training.  Kudos to all the area individuals and agencies contributing to this effort!

Health Department