PORTLAND — Let’s Go! has honored four schools, 27 school cafeterias, eight out-of-school programs, 25 early care and education programs and seven health care practices in Androscoggin County for making a positive impact on children’s health.
Forty-three sites are implementing the program’s five evidence-based strategies to increase healthy eating and active living. This is a particularly special achievement in light of all the changes that the pandemic has brought this past year.
Let’s Go! sites in Androscoggin County are committed to making it easier for children to eat well and be active. Ninety-three percent limit or eliminate sugary drinks and promote water, 85% prohibit the use of food as a reward, and 100% provide opportunities for physical activity outside of recess on a daily basis.
Let’s Go! sites use creative strategies to promote healthy habits. Owen Sterrs, the Site Champion at Auburn Middle School CLC, reported that he “was able to purchase equipment for my site to provide fruit-infused water once a week on Wellness Wednesdays and regular water every day. This was a huge success and helped to eliminate sugary beverages from our program 100%.”
Introduced in 2012, the Let’s Go! recognition program identifies and celebrates schools, out-of-school programs and early care and education programs for their role in improving the health of all children. The program focuses on sustainable change.
More than 900 Let’s Go! sites across Maine and Mt. Washington Valley, New Hampshire, were recognized in 2020. A listing of all recognized sites can be found at sites.letsgo.org.
Let’s Go is implemented in Androscoggin County by Healthy Androscoggin, a local community health nonprofit whose mission is to empower people to live healthy lifestyles and to improve the public health of communities through ongoing planning, community action, education and advocacy. Healthy Androscoggin is a program affiliated with Central Maine Healthcare.
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