As part of its focus on families with young children, Discover @ JCC, our total wellness initiative, sent three senior staff members to Iowa for a master trainers’ course in CATCH, Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health. Created at the University of California, the CATCH program has been successfully teaching elementary-school children about the importance of exercise and good nutrition for a while. Now they are expanding into early-childhood centers, and we have been piloting the program this summer and fall in selected JCCs.

After completing the CATCH training, Joy Brand, Steve Becker, and Mark Horowitz trained JCC staff, including how to use materials and activities based on Jewish values which we created. Since there is a higher incidence of childhood obesity among poor people, JCCs hope to reach out to families who may not come to the JCC on a regular basis.  JCC Association Early Childhood Director Mark Horowitz said, “Good health is a primary Jewish value because we are all made in the image of God.”

Our DISCOVER: CATCH Early Childhood trainers are continuing to train JCC staff to implement CATCH Early Childhood activities at six JCCs. The Samson Family JCC in Milwaukee, the Shaw JCC in Akron, and the  JCCs of Greater Boston are already implementing the activities and materials our trainers developed, which enrich the CATCH materials with Jewish values.  Our trainers will be going to Austin soon to speak to program developers at the University of Texas.  For information about DISCOVER: CATCH Early Childhood, contact Steve Becker at sbecker@jcca.org.