Partners Step It Up

Watch a video about Partners Step It Up!

Partners Step It Up is an activity program that incorporates technology, educational feedback and a fun, team-oriented foot race to raise awareness about the importance of daily activity and good health. Nearly 200 Massachusetts elementary students and teachers participated in Step It Up in 2011. The program is in collaboration with Partners Community Health, Dorchester FAMILY School Initiative, and DotWell.

How does it work?

Each student receives their own ‘sneaker chip’ pedometer to wear everyday, which measures their step count and minutes of activity. The data on the sneaker chips are uploaded automatically when a student walks by designated computer hubs located in the school. The sneaker chips record amount of activity only, and does not contain any information regarding location.

Each week, the classrooms are provided with Step Reports for each student. That report contains the amount of steps each student took in a given week, as well as number of active minutes, and cumulative steps. The Step Report also contains educational content relating to activity, nutrition, and/or health.

At the start of the program, each student also receives their own Step Meter. The Step Meter allows the students to track their cumulative steps in a fun and engaging way. The Step Meter contains milestones, such as “you’ve walked the Boston Marathon”, or “number of average steps taken in a soccer game”.

In addition, groups of students are assigned to teams and compete in a race across the USA. A “Step Across the USA" poster is provided, where each classroom can mark off where each team stands every week. This is intended to be a fun competition where students are motivated to be active, learn to be accountable for each other, and feel pride in how far they have traveled.

Interested in learning more about Partners Step It Up?

If you are interested in learning more about this program, contact Khinlei Myint-U at kmyint-u@partners.org

Step Meter Weekly Step Report

Team Poster Team members from the Center for Connected Health at the school enrollment event in March 2011.

Students at the Partners Step It Up launch event on Feb 29th, 2012. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and students at the Partners Step It Up launch event on Feb 29th, 2012.

Member Comments

Dear Joseph,

Thanking you for your email regarding your Step Up Progam which I am fully supportive of as I share in your advocacy not merely in stemming the tide of worldwide obesity and its complications but more so in promoting early Healthy Lifestyle/Changes among the young. I believe the School Industry should really be our partners in health promotion as it plays a vital role in shaping the minds of the youth through teaching applied preventive medicine.

All the best,
Paul Nierva, M.D.

Paul Nierva

M.D.

 

Posted by: Paul Nierva
5/26/2011

 

thanks so much for your support, Paul

Joseph Kvedar

Director
Center for Connected Health

Joseph C. Kvedar, M.D., is the Founder and Director of the Center for Connected Health, applying communications technology and online resources to increase access and improve the delivery of quality medical services and patient care. Dr. Kvedar is also a board-certified dermatologist and Vice-Chair of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. In his role with the Center for Connected Health, Dr. Kvedar launched the first physician-to-physician online consultation service in an academic setting. He is also leading important research into novel approaches for connected health in a variety of medical specialties, including post-operative care in the home, wound care, and remote monitoring of patients with chronic diseases. Dr. Kvedar is a past President and member of the governing Board of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). Dr. Kvedar is also Chair of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Task Force on Telemedicine. Dr. Kvedar is internationally recognized for his leadership and vision in the field of connected health and the application of communications technologies to improve healthcare to patients. Dr. Kvedar is co-editor of a new book, Home Telehealth, which was published in May 2006. He is a frequent lecturer and has authored over 60 publications on telemedicine and connected health. In 2003, Dr. Kvedar was honored by the New England Business and Technology Association for his extraordinary leadership in the field.

 

Posted by: Joseph Kvedar
5/31/2011

 

Your Comments

This feature is available for Connected Health members only. Please login now or register to continue.

Email Address

Password

Login