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# of Schools 37
# of Kids Served 21000
Project Start 2017

Funders:

Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation


Project Summary

The Brownsville ISD CATCH project took place from February 2017 to January 2018 and aimed to strengthen the district’s coordinated school health programming to better support and promote healthy eating and physical activity for approximately 21,000 K-5th grade students in 37 elementary schools. Brownsville ISD first implemented CATCH district-wide in 2001 and the program has since become an integral part of the district’s efforts to improve students’ health-related behaviors.

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Outcomes

Since implementation at Brownsville ISD in February 2017, the CATCH program has yielded significant results, most notably a 71% increase in Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity during PE class. Other outcomes include a 17% increase in the number of days students played outdoors and a 23% increase in the number of times students ate vegetables.




Testimonials

“[Our children] are the most precious resource that we have. We are in this profession to help kids, not only mentally, but also physically to make sure that they are well fit and well taken care of so that they can make those positive choices for themselves.”

- Yolanda Turbeville, Principal, Raquel Peña Elementary School

“[Brownsville is] very family-oriented, but our family gatherings are to a grill or barbecue [where we] get together and eat. So we’re trying to change that culture.”

- Rose Timmer, Executive Director, Healthy Communities of Brownsville

“In order to change a culture, we really have to start with the kids. It’ll take some time, but I think it’s more promising.”

- Judy Quisenberry, Grants Director, Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation

“[CATCH curriculum] can be a combination of the core subjects with health. It’s interdisciplinary – you’re working with everything together.”

- Mario Gonzalez, P.E. Teacher, Sharp Elementary School

“I think the most important thing is having everybody work together, so we get the same message across to all of the students and they all know what we’re talking about, from P.E. to the classroom to the cafeteria.”

- Emmanuel Vasquez, P.E. Teacher, Raquel Peña Elementary School

“The [CATCH] lessons are really easy where it doesn’t take a lot of pre-planning. You can basically just take it out, look at it real quickly, put it under the projector, and then incorporate a quick CATCH activity.”

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Funders


Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation

The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation invests in and serves as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, medical education, research and programs that improve the health and quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley.

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Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is dedicated to transforming the lives of children living in urban poverty through improving their education, health and family economic stability.

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