Rutgers and Johnson & Johnson Launch Nutrition and Fitness Camp

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Johnson & Johnson have joined together to launch the Rutgers University/Johnson & Johnson Nutrition and Fitness Camp, which educates youngters about how to stay healthy while they have fun.

The camp is funded through the generosity of Johnson & Johnson and New Brunswick Tomorrow. Fifteen lucky youngsters who just completed kindergarten in New Brunswick public schools have been selected to be campers in this unique program, which emphasizes nutrition and fitness for life. 

The headquarters for the camp is Rutgers Nutritional Sciences Preschool on Rutgers Cook–Douglass campus. Professor Harriet Worobey, instructor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and director of the camp, developed the nutrition curriculum using materials created at Rutgers Nutritional Sciences Preschool and also using Food Friends, a nutrition education program from Colorado State University. All camp participants eat a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and two daily snacks — and the morning snack is prepared by the campers themselves. 

The campers also use the state-of-the-art playground at the Nutritional Sciences Preschool, participate in aerobics at the Loree Gym twice a week, and swim at the Cook Recreational Center three times per week.

Each Thursday, the campers go on a field trip; so far, the campers have been bowling and have participated in two programs at the New Jersey Museum of Agriculture. Upcoming trips include a tour of the Rutgers Gardens and an all-day trip to the Liberty Science Center. The campers have also been treated to visits from the Lizard Guys (with exciting live reptiles) and Youth Stages, which presented a creative dramatics workshop. 

In order to measure the success of the camp program, children’s activity levels are monitored using mini-computers called “actometers,” which measure activity. Children’s prior eating habits and new taste experiences are also being recorded.

Nicole Hallissey, a Nutritional Sciences major, developed the aerobics curriculum for the campers. Professor John Worobey, chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, is the research coordinator for the project. The camp began July 1 and will run until August 15.

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