New initiative: "Let's Read. Let's Move."

First Lady Michelle Obama launched a new intitiative earlier last week with four Cabinet secretaries. Let's Read. Let's Move. is an administrative-wide intitiative to combat the obesity epidemic in children and summer-reading loss.

The two important factors why the initiative was launched are that young kids can lose more than two months of reading progress over the summer and 1 in 3 kids in the U.S. are obese, a staggering statistic especially when the summer months contribute most since kids eat less nutritious meals. The program will expand opportunities to engage young people in summer reading and physical activities as well as provide access to healthy, affordable food.

"Nothing is more critical to the future of our nation than ensuring our young people are prepared to lead, "said Patrick Corvington, the Corporation of National Community Service CEO. The new initiative will get more Americans volunteering to combat childhood obesity and summer learning loss in youth.

"The United We Serve Service initiative is a nationwide effort calling on all Americans to make service a part of their daily lives," said Mrs. Obama. "We are asking individuals and community organizations, corporations, foundations and government to come together and devote their time and energy to help our kids stay active and healthy- and to keep them learning- all summer long."

It aims to increase access to volunteer projects around reading; exercise, healthy eating; provide toolkits and resources to help Americans develop high impact service projects; and build new partnerships to reach youth in big cities and rural communities.

To read more on the initiative, click on the link below.
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/first-lady-federal-agencies-launch-summer-initiative-curb-childhood-obesity-and-