| Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Sure, this is an ambitious goal. But with your help, we can do it.
Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices.
There are an estimated 17,500 museums in the U.S. which collectively host at least 850 million visits each year. Through the Let’s Move! Museums & Gardens initiative, museums, zoos, public gardens, historic sites and science and technology centers can join the call to action in fighting childhood obesity.
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September 6, 2012
Let's Move! Museums & Gardens is a component of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation. Through exhibits, programs, and healthy food service, museums and gardens in all fifty states are taking action to provide fun opportunities for fitness and learning. Visits to museums and gardens are high-impact learning opportunities with the power to make a difference in children's lives and their futures. Click here for a list of participating institutions.
Success Story: Student Groups Create Edible Bouquets
Betty Ford Alpine GardensVail, Colorado The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has been teaching kids about healthy eating through its vegetable and herb gardens. As a public botanic garden, it participates in community outreach events and garden education. Visitors have learned about the challenges of growing edible plants in the mountains of Vail, Colorado, including tomatoes, basil, cilantro, lettuce, and asparagus. Groups of students have learned how to grow their own herbs and have made “edible bouquets” of herbs and flowers to take home and cook with. Discovering that basil is in pizza sauce and dill is in pickles was surprising to many kids! Garden staff shared their favorite recipes and growing tips with the kids, who were excited to use their bouquets as ingredients for dinner. 
Success Story:Let’s Move South Dakota
South Dakota Discovery Center & AquariumPierre, South Dakota Let’s Move South Dakota is a traveling hands-on exhibit that will inspire children and families to get active, eat healthy, and feel good. The exhibit features an interactive station on each of the Let’s Move action steps for kids. There are also activity kits to be used in outreach programs. Visitors can put together a puzzle based on the My Plate recommendations at the Prepare and Eat Meals station, but be careful, not every piece “fits” into everyday eating or the puzzle. They can weigh their beverage choices by seeing how much sugar is in various drinks at the Drink Smart station using a balance and “sugar cubes.” They can sign up for PALA Plus at Move Every Day or get competitive about eating fruits and veggies at Eat Fruits and Veggies. Plus much more! 
Success Story: Urban Youth Internship Program
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical GardensPittsburgh, Pennsylvania This summer, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens welcomed a fantastic group of high school students to be part of its six-week paid internship for urban youth. Working with horticulturalists, the participants designed and planted their own plots in a green-roof edible garden with cabbage, chard, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, and other crops which they carefully tended to daily. Every Wednesday, the interns harvested ripe produce to sell at Farmers at Phipps, a market featuring only organic and Certified Naturally Grown local fruits and vegetables. On Thursdays they learned how to cook nutritious meals that they could easily replicate at home. Further empowering them to become agents for change, the students also took fieldtrips, read books, watched documentaries, and had discussions that highlighted healthy lifestyle choices, so that they, too, could pass their knowledge on to others and make a difference in their communities. 
Success Story: Fun in the Sun Adventures
Ruth Bancroft GardenWalnut Creek, California On Saturday, August 4, the Ruth Bancroft Garden held its first family summer event, Fun in the Sun Adventures. The garden was filled with fun, laughter, and happy families. The purpose of the day was to teach about the importance of water conservation and nature and to get kids active through fun educational games and crafts. An obstacle course had children and adults zigzagging through cones, limbo-ing under a broomstick, and hopping to the finish line. A water relay race show how much water is used while washing your hands, and a “smelly” hike encouraged families to visit different plants in the garden with unique smells. Children were able to spend time with their families being active in the beautiful outdoors, learning together, and exploring the unique and beautiful garden. Best of all, the families created memories together that will last a lifetime. 
Success Story: Let’s Eat: Works from the GW Permanent Collection
Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, George Washington University
George Washington University’s Luther W. Brady Art Gallery addressed healthy eating through an innovative union of art, nutrition, and good food with the exhibition, Let’s Eat: Works from the GW Permanent Collection. On view from December 7, 2011 through February 10, 2012, the exhibit paired paintings, sculptures, and prints from the university’s permanent collection with complementary healthy recipes. A still-life painting of apples and lemons by Henryk Fantazos suggests apple dumplings. A bronze sculpture of swimming fish by Paul Wayland Bartlett becomes roasted black sea bass. The George Washington University chef also created five gourmet recipes paired with works of art. Patrons were given recipe cards and all recipes were available online.Washington, D.C. 
From the Let's Move! Blog: Get the Winning Recipes! Download the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Cookbook
Posted by Lea Prohov on August 21, 2012. Everyone is talking about the great event First Lady Michelle Obama held at the White House Monday for the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Mrs. Obama invited the 54 young chefs whose original recipes for healthy, affordable and delicious lunch menus were selected by a panel of judges to join her in the East Room for a luncheon celebration. We invite families to try a few (or all!) of the great recipes that were created for this contest at home yourselves.Here’s a sample of some of the winning recipes featured in the cookbook: Stuffed Zucchini Boats Power Pesto Pasta Garden Chicken Pizza Turkey Vegetable Soup Learn more: Read about the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and the Kids' State Dinner and watch Behind the Scenes as the White House Chefs Prep the Kids' State Dinner. 
Submit a Success Story
If you wish to submit success stories, please email a 150-word article with photos to letsmovemuseumsandgardens@See the Let's Move! Museums & Gardens Toolkit (PDF) for additional programming and communication resources.
Let's Move! Museums & Gardens partners
Let's Move! Museums & Gardens is led by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in partnership with the American Association of Museums, the Association of Children's Museums, the American Public Garden Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Association of Science-Technology Centers, the American Association of State and Local History, the Association of African American Museums, and the Association of Art Museum Directors. | ||
