Past Grants

To help address childhood obesity in Michigan, the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association (mParks) implemented Come Out & Play, a project that provided materials and support to local park and recreation agencies for health and fitness programs, with a special focus in counties ranked the lowest on health factor rankings. Using a curriculum that meets the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, this program engaged more than 1,400 youth in 21 local programs across the state. By the end of the project, youth participants had increased levels of daily physical activity by an average of 30% and showed measurable improvement in fitness levels.  The mParks Come Out & Play model was adopted by MDHHS and rolled out to agencies statewide, ensuring that more Michiganders see and use parks as venues for physical activity.