The Nash Community College Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center has been selected to receive the Shape NC $3,000 grant made possible with support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Project partners for Shape NC include the North Carolina Partnership for Children in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative team from North Carolina State University, Be Active Kids, and the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care developed by the University of North Carolina Center for Health Promotion Disease Prevention.

The grant is a part of a statewide initiative to fight childhood obesity with healthy eating habits and physical activity and promote natural outdoor learning environments. Natural outdoor learning environments are also connected to the development of problem solving skills, increased ability to focus, a reduction in symptoms from disorders such as ADHD and the development of positive social skills. Nash Community College's Five Star Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center will be one of eight child care centers in North Carolina to receive this grant in the first year and will serve as a model site for area child care providers. Over the next three years, the plan is to develop 30 model sites in North Carolina.

The grant will assist in funding a playground renovation including the addition of landscaping and pathways to provide natural flow and definition. The added elements will create both a teacher-directed and child-directed learning environment encouraging physical activity, exploration, and a connection to nature. "We are excited about this wonderful opportunity to continue enhancing our playground and better serve our community," said Center director Lindsay Lee. "We are very appreciative to Down East Partnership for Children for selecting us as the recipient of this grant and for collaborating with us through this process."

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Move More North Carolina: A Guide to Creating Active Outdoor Play Spaces, seventy percent of children ages 0-5 are in child care. Those in child care spend seventy-five percent of their waking hours in their respective child care setting. Nineteen percent of the children in North Carolina are currently considered obese/overweight, ranking the state as the 11 th highest state for childhood obesity. "As a Center, we can make an impact in fighting childhood obesity with the practices that we put into place," Lee said. "I encourage all child care centers to review their practices and to consider changes that could help make a difference. I am excited and look forward to helping improve our community with this movement. We can all make a difference."

For more information on the NCC Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center, call 252-451-1388.

The Nash Community College Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center has been selected as a recipient of the Shape NC grant made possible with support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. The grant is a part of a statewide initiative to fight childhood obesity with healthy eating habits and physical activity and to promote natural outdoor learning environments.

###

**Right click on photo to save as press quality.

Media Contact:

Kelley Deal
Nash Community College
Public Relations Director
252-451-8235