Voices of Michigan Education Program Looks at Nutrition and Childhood Obesity

Join us on Tuesday evening, April 14th at 7 p.m. on Newstalk 760 WJR for the Voices of Michigan Education.

In the latest Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey, more than one third of students in grades 9 to 12 did not participate in the recommended amount of weekly physical activity, a higher percentage watched three or more hours of television on an average school day, and less than one third attended physical education class one or more days during an average school week. During the past four decades, obesity rates have soared among all age groups, more than quadrupling among children ages 6 to 11.

We will talk with members of The Generation With Promise project, which aims to prevent obesity and smoking in children as well as Deb Lotan, President of the Michigan Education Support Professional Association, a group that represents 229 custodians, food service, maintenance and transportation workers. She will discuss changes in school nutrition and the fact that for some children, the meals they get at school might be all they receive during the day. Also on the program, Arizona State University Professor, Dr. David Berliner, who has authored an insightful and in some circles controversial report, Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success which reviews six out-of-school factors that have been clearly linked to lower achievement among poor and minority-group students.

The April edition of the Voices of Michigan Education will also be aired on Saturday, April 18 across the state on the Michigan Radio Network.

March 10 Voices of Michigan Education Confronts Homeless Stereotypes

If you think that the Michigan homeless population is best defined by the guy stuffing all his earthly belongings into a stolen grocery shopping cart, think again. On the March 10 edition of the Voices of Michigan Education heard on 760 WJR in Detroit, as well as across the state on the Michigan Education Network, our guests weighed in from the front lines of the state’s homeless issue who dispel what many believe to be the factors definining homelessness.

Based on statistics from a number of private and government sources that show the typical homeless person in the state being a 7-9 year old child, we talked about the dymanics of homelessness and how those who are displaced are surviving. From “couch surfers” to young families living in cars, we were able to put a face on today’s “homeless statistic” and what citizens of the state need to do to lend a hand.  

Joining us in expanding the dialogue were Lighthouse of Oakland County CEO, John Ziraldo, Linda Forward of the State of Michigan’s Office of Education for Homeless Children and Youth, some incredible stories of formerly homeless families who have turned their lives around in Pontiac and Michigan Education Association Vice President, Steve Cook who has done some life-changing work with transient students in the state.  

The March 10, 2009 broadcast is now available in our podcast section.