Carson Peele, now a healthy, fit UNC Wilmington
undergrad, remembers back in 7th grade when her
school instituted the Motivating Adolescents with
Technology to Choose Health program, or MATCH.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” Carson
says. “And I had basically no clue about
things like nutrition, how to read the back of
a box and know what’s actually in that food.”
MATCH, now in its eighth year, is a
teacher-developed interdisciplinary
approach to student wellness that
integrates physical activity, nutrition and
technology education into the 7th grade
core curriculum and creates internal
motivation within students so they engage
in the learning process. What that meant
to Carson was this:
“It was really cool. We all had to get our
30 minutes in of physical activity for the
day, and keep a daily log of what we did
and what we ate. I used to go out and
jump on our trampoline for half an hour.”
While implementation of MATCH may
vary from school to school, all MATCH
students engage in an interactive course
of core lessons as part of their academic
classes —“definitely a highlight of the day,”
according to Carson. Additionally, some
schools incorporate activities ranging
from basketball to the popular video
game
Dance Dance Revolution
.
Understanding body systems is the
framework for the curriculum, and
participation in MATCH has resulted in
behavior changes for successful weight
control and weight reduction.
“Yeah, it has definitely stuck with me,” says
Carson. “Even now, when I go out grocery
shopping with my roommates, I think about
what’s going in the cart. And I understand
how it’s going to get used in my body.”
Carson’s mom, Susan, Director of
Elementary Education for Martin County
Schools, has been similarly impressed by
the program’s staying power.
“Carson hasn’t touched a soft drink since
7th grade,” says Susan. “None of us do,
really. She’s really proud of that, and of
course, it’s been great for me to see her
carrying these lessons through.”
As a parent and an administrator in
the North Carolina school system, Susan
has had ample reason to appreciate the
program’s impact.
“We don’t always take the time to
teach kids about nutrition. But MATCH
does a wonderful job of stepping in and
addressing that. And, you know, if they
can learn to make good choices on their
own, you can trust that they’ll take that
knowledge with them.”
