Latino Organization of the Southwest, Southwest Side Walking Initiative Legacy Project
The Southwest Side Walking Initiative (SWSWI) will promote physical activity among school parents to be a model to their families and community. The SWSWI aims to create walking clubs for parents of elementary school children in the Chicago neighborhoods of West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, and Gage Park . In these areas, there are limited affordable opportunities for physical activity and significant barriers to participation.
The walking club will take place in the mornings during school hours three times a week with expectations that the participants will make walking a daily habit. The objective of the project will be to educate parents about the risks of obesity, diabetes, CVD and other chronic diseases.
Each week the walking clubs will discuss a health-related issue such as nutrition, overcoming barriers to exercise, or motivating family members. These meetings will also provide an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the walking clubs.
At the end of the funding period, we hope to have sustainable school-based parent walking clubs led by knowledgeable and committed leaders connected through a strong support network. We will also have a large group of motivated walkers who feel they have the community support they need to reach their physical activity goals.
The SWSWI is a coalition of the Latino Organization of the Southwest (LOS) and four local public elementary schools: Fairfield , Hurley, Nightingale, and Tarkington.