News Headlines

By Lee Solonche
January 2008

As we celebrate the New Year, most of us greet it with resolutions on how we might improve and that often includes dieting. Dealing with weight issues has become an American pastime that has unfortunately impacted our children.

Vegas PBS is proud to be the only PBS station in the nation chosen for a Corporation for Public Broadcasting Local Service Initiative grant targeting childhood obesity. The Vegas PBS Keeping Kits Fit project is an ambitious multi-year effort to help Southern Nevada deal with this emerging issue.

Childhood obesity has major implications for all of us. Yale University estimates that by 2010 almost 50% of children in North America will be overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 1980 the proportion of overweight children ages 6-11 has more than doubled. Among children of color, the rates are even more disturbing. According to the Kaiser Family foundation, Mexican-American and African-American children are especially at-risk for being overweight.

Vegas PBS Keeping Kids Fit is working with community partners, dedicated organizations and individuals to address childhood obesity with a special emphasis on minority children. Working with experts in nutrition, exercise, education, communications, medical and other fields, Vegas PBS is launching the Keeping Kids Fit project. We will employ our broadcast, educational and technological resources in new and innovative ways to provide children and families the tools and information they need to help lead a healthy lifestyle.

We are honored to be working with such partners as: Telemundo, Urban Chamber of Commerce, Clark County School District, Freemont Children's Clinic and UNLV School of Dental Medicine. We have already been contacted by many others who wish to join this worthy effort. We look forward to being part of the solution to this challenge for many years. As we enter the New Year we are excited to begin this new adventure! For more information please call 799-1010 ext. 5325 or check out our website:

Keeping Kits Fit Website

Past Articles:

Vegas PBS To Study iPods and Learning (January 22, 2008)

Mom Inspired Youngster to Write Award-Winning Story: Whimsical Tale of All-Knowing Parent Earns Prizes from PBS' 'Reading Rainbow' Program (Las Vegas Review Journal, October 2, 2007)

Reading Rainbow National Young Writers & Illustrators Contest Honors Las Vegas Student (August 2007)

Girl Scouts Receive Reading Rainbow Badges (West Valley News, June 2007)

Reading Rainbow and Vegas PBS (May 2007)