Kinderdance Helps the Military Fight the War Against Obesity in Young Children

By: Kinderdance International | 1,014 Shares 145 Reads

January 14, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Kinderdance®, thinking out of the box, has encouraged it's franchisees to go and teach the programs at military bases across the country.

Dee Parr, the Kinderdance® franchisee in Colorado, teaching under the SKIES Unlimited program at Fort Carson, CO. said "the Kids here in Colorado in the SKIES Unlimited program are really enjoying the activity and movement and I really enjoy being here with the children of our military men and women. It brings my heart joy to be able to provide these valuable programs of Kinderdance® to them while mommy and/or daddy are away fighting for the freedom of our country. The children also find great enjoyment in the program as well. I go to Fort Carson twice a week and the kids are so excited to begin class that they are there way before the classes begin welcoming me at the door. When I leave these classes on the base I have a real sense of accomplishing something that is important and valuable in someone else's life. Just to see the smiles and get the hugs from the children you know that what you are doing is touching their little lives!"

Linda Fruster, the Kinderdance® franchisee in Alaska, teaching under the SKIES Unlimited program at Fort Richardson, AK., says "Retiring from the military myself, I can relate to the parents whose spouses are in Iraq. They love to bring their children to class so that they can keep busy and to keep the little ones minds off their dad or mom being gone. It is because they miss their parents in Iraq. I had several dads who came back from Iraq come and watch me teach a class. They were very happy which makes me happy to serve them."

Michelle Dettelis, the Kinderdance® franchisee in California, teaching at the Vandenberg Air Force Base Youth Center, said "with over 60 children enrolled, dance is not just fun, but educational, creative, and helping to raise healthy children. Karen Cook the youth center director is very pleased to have a dance program as wonderful as Kinderdance®. With many parents being deployed overseas serving our country, Kinderdance® instructors feel very blessed to have a chance to give back by being there every week to teach dance for the military children.

"While this is a new initiative for Kinderdance® and its franchisees we hope to teach the programs at many military bases nationwide. With 115 franchisees located in 36 states and 5 countries Kinderdance® has authorized all of its franchisees to offer a FREE DANCE and FITNESS demonstration to all military bases in their area", said Bernard Friedman, Executive Vice President / Co-Founder of Kinderdance®

SKIES Unlimited is the framework for the Child & Youth (CYS) instructional program. The SKIES Unlimited model was formulated with the intent of maximizing the developmental impact on military connected children and youth. Instructional programs touch every aspect of child and youth development: physical, cognitive, emotional and social.

All Kinderdance® programs emphasize building self-confidence and self-esteem in children through learning to share, lead, interact and respond to others' needs as well as their own. The programs incorporate the arts (dance, creative movement), education (numbers, colors, shapes, words), movement (motor development/body awareness/gymnastics), music (songs/rhythms), fitness (strength, flexibility, balance, cardio health), and the fun of learning into a young child's life.

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