First Lady Michelle Obama Launches Communities on the Move Video Contest

Katherine teaching D.C. public school children at the Capital Harvest on the Plaza Farm Market

What do you think of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Program? Let me know below in “comments.” 

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the second anniversary of Let’s Move! by announcing the Communities on the Move video challenge and inviting faith-based, community, and other non-profit organizations to create inspiring videos about their efforts to reverse the trend of childhood obesity. The challenge will recognize community efforts that promote healthy lifestyles for kids by encouraging nutritious eating through USDA’s MyPlate icon, increasing physical activity, and/or ensuring access to healthy, affordable foods.

“America’s faith communities play a crucial role in guiding and strengthening not only our spiritual health, but our emotional and physical health as well,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Over the past two years, I’ve been inspired by all of the faith leaders and congregations who have taken action to get active and eat healthier, and so we’re launching our Let’s Move! video contest to highlight some of the best examples.  I know there’s so much incredible work being done – and I can’t wait to hear some of these stories first-hand at the White House.”

The Communities on the Move video challenge is a part of Let’s Move Faith and Communities,launched by First Lady Michelle Obama to engage faith-based and community organizations inLet’s Move! to raise a healthier generation of kids. As trusted community leaders, faith and neighborhood organizations are well positioned to initiate and coordinate activities that encourage healthy living. The challenge will recognize organizations empowering families, congregations, and communities to make better choices to improve the health of our nation’s children.

Videos should be between one to three minutes long, have a clear connection to Let’s Move!, and describe how the organization entering has worked to improve the wellness of children. The organization may operate at the national or local level. Videos must focus on topics in one or more of three areas of interest: (1) healthy eating, (2) physical activity, and/or (3) access to healthy, affordable food. At some point in the video, the video must direct viewers to www.letsmove.gov for more information.  For more guidance about the areas of interest, view the MyPlate Community Toolkit available at the Resources section of http://communities.challenge.gov.

There will be two winning entries selected – a First Prize winner judged by a panel of experts from Let’s Move!, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, and a Popular Choice winner selected through public voting.  Both winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a Let’s Move! event where they will have a special opportunity to showcase their video.  They each will receive an award of $1000 to defray travel costs.  In addition, up  to seven Honorable Mention winners will be selected by our same panel of experts and invited to Washington, DC as well.  All the winners will have their videos featured on theLet’s Move! website.

Winners will be announced in June 2012. For more details on the video challenge, go tohttp://communities.challenge.gov.

Has First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Program impacted you or your family? Let me know in “comments” below…