Health Connection

Health Connection focuses on helping urban youth make the connection between being physically active and living a healthy lifestyle. Our programs highlight nutrition, physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. Youth sports health coordinators are placed in neighborhood health centers to collaborate with health care providers, community leaders, and parents. They then perform baseline needs assessments, attend community meetings and create programs based on each community�s unique needs. By working with physicians and nutritionists, we are able to provide physical activity and nutritional programs to patients of the health centers as well as neighborhood youth.

In addition to creating health center programs, we collaborate with other neighborhood agencies and programs to create better youth programs in Boston. To date, this unique program has created more than 9,500 opportunities for Boston youth to participate in organized sports � both traditional team sports and non-traditional fitness activities. We are also working with local sports programs, community centers, schools, and other community-based organizations to engage more youth.

We are currently in four neighborhood health centers: Bowdoin Street Health Center in Dorchester, Brookside Community Health Center in Jamaica Plain, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and Mattapan Community Health Center.

For more information on the Health Connection, please contact Linda Keefe.