Lawrence Teen Coalition

Challenge Program

The Challenge Program is a 20-week cardiovascular health program for local Lawrence youth ages 7 to 13. Currently the program is run out of two local housing developments, the Merrimack Courts and Beacon Courts. The program focuses on three major areas related to cardiovascular health : smoking prevention, nutrition and exercise. There are three major program goals:

To reduce rates of youths engaging in tobacco related health risk behaviors
To decrease the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory health disease
To teach healthy habits at a young age that will persist into adulthood

This program is funded through a grant from Latino Health 2010. Latino Health 2010 is working to eliminate health status disparities between Latinos in Lawrence who have diabetes and associated cardiovascular disease.