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Department Of Youth Services Receives $470,000 Grant to Support Physical Education and Nutrition Programs

BOSTON — The Patrick Administration announced today that the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and its educational provider, the Hampshire Educational Collaborative, have been awarded a $470,000 grant to support physical education programs for youth in eight DYS residential facilities across the state. The U.S. Department of Education’s Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant will support the Healthy Opportunities, Positive Effects (HOPE) initiative, which will promote physical activity and nutritional instruction for youth in the care and custody of DYS.

The Department of Youth Services and the Hampshire Education Collaborative will develop a comprehensive wellness curriculum that provides students with the tools they need to adopt lifelong fitness goals and healthy eating habits. This curriculum, which will be integrated into each student’s individualized learning plan, is designed to increase the number of DYS youth achieving the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

“The Patrick Administration is committed to promoting healthy living for all young people in the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “More than half of adults in Massachusetts are overweight or obese, as are one-third of our middle and high school students. The Department of Youth Services’ new physical education and healthy living program will help our clients make more informed choices throughout their lives.”

“Our goal is to provide a range of rehabilitative services to help youth make better choices and lead healthier, more productive lives,” said DYS Commissioner Jane E. Tewksbury. “We are pleased to have received these funds to support a more comprehensive health and wellness curriculum in DYS facilities. They will go a long way in helping youth to successfully transition back into their communities.”

The Department’s health and wellness programming will focus on eight residential facilities across the Commonwealth in the first year, including:

  • Camp Amesbury (Amesbury)

  • Connelly Youth Center (Roslindale)

  • Goss Secure Treatment I and II (Taunton)

  • Oakes D (Grafton)

  • RFK Girls Program (Hadley)

  • RFK Springfield Secure Treatment (Springfield)

  • Westboro Secure Treatment (Westboro)

  • Worcester Secure Treatment (Westboro)

DYS will implement the HOPE program over three years. In the first year, efforts will focus on building program capacity by hiring five physical education teachers, purchasing fitness equipment, and organizing a statewide wellness committee comprised of representatives from DYS, the Hampshire Education Collaborative and the Department of Public Health. DYS will also provide both current and new teachers with professional development in an accredited health and nutrition curriculum.

In the second year, DYS will expand its health and fitness curriculum to out-of-school settings in DYS Community District Offices. The final year will focus on finalizing the health and fitness curriculum in both in- and out-of-school settings.
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