Research & Sponsored Programs Report ResearchAnnual201819-electronic | Page 8

Assistant Professor Christopher K. Wirth leads a ‘Let’s Wiggle With 5-2-1-0’ training session for the Santa Rosa District Schools.
Program helps kids ‘Wiggle’ their way to fitness
University of West Florida researchers and health
officials in Escambia County are collaborating on
an innovative program to curb area childhood
obesity rates by increasing physical activity
among preschoolers.
Dr. Debra Vinci, chair of the Department
of Movement Sciences and Health, and Dr.
Christopher Wirth, assistant professor in the
Department of Movement Sciences and Health,
were awarded a multi-year grant from the Florida
Department of Health in Escambia to develop
and implement “Let’s Wiggle 5-2-1-0” workshops
for Escambia County.
belief those early years will help set the baseline
for children and their families,” Vinci said.
The numbers 5-2-1-0 correlate to daily health
recommendations for children: Eat five or more
fruits and vegetables; restrict screen time to two
hours or less; have at least one hour of physical
activity; and consume zero sugary drinks.
The initiative, which is also a collaboration with
the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County,
is all about children ages 3-5 “getting their wig-
gles out” by incorporating physical activity in
the classroom. Studies from the University of
Wisconsin Population Health Institute show that
34 percent of preschool students and students in
grades 1 to 3 are overweight or obese.
“The target population was the preschool age
because we are really trying to look at providing
good information in the early years with the
Savannah Wilkes, a junior exercise science major, leads a ‘Let’s
Wiggle With 5-2-1-0’ training session with Santa Rosa School
District educators.
Grant to bolster STEM efforts at UWF
A five-year, $3 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education will enhance and
expand science, technology, engineering and
math courses at the University of West Florida.
The grant, which was awarded to the Hal Marcus
College of Science and Engineering, will provide
funding to purchase new technology and equip-
ment, renovate and build laboratory space and
hire additional staff who will help ensure student
success in STEM courses. The enhanced curric-
ulum is designed to improve student retention
and produce more STEM graduates.
“This grant will bring us an infusion of funds to
purchase new instrumentation. We will be able to
expose students at a much earlier point in their
educational career to some advanced instru-
mentation used in chemistry,” said Dr. Pamela
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Benz, associate professor in the Department of
Chemistry, who will oversee some of the grant-
funded initiatives.
Similar upgrades are slated for laboratories in
the physics and biology departments, Benz said.
Among the new staff that will be hired through
the grant will be an academic coach dedicated
to student success in STEM courses by helping
students learn effective study skills and time
management. A data analyst will also be hired
to assess the effectiveness of the enhancements
made to STEM courses. Other positions will
include a curriculum specialist and a STEM aca-
demic support specialist.
The renovations will include the building of STEM
Success Studios, where students can receive
supplemental instruction in smaller groups than
2018-2019 Research Annual Report