Grant Proposal

I. Project Background (Christina, Constantinou)

a. Cover Page
Name of Applicant Organization: ​________Camp Neigh Organization__________

Organization Address ​37 Easton Ave, New Brunswick New Jersey, 08901

Contact Person Name and EMail Address: ____________________________

Project Title: _____________Camp Neigh__________________________________
Target Population: ______ Low-income youth in New Brunswick Public Schools_____________
Project Geographic Area: ___________New Brunswick, New Jersey __________________

Proposed Budget​:

Request of REF ($) Total Budget ($)

90,100 90,100

Organization’s Mission Statement: ​At Camp Neigh, our primary goal is to provide our campers with a
fun, healthy and rewarding experience!

Purpose of Proposed Project​: After careful assessment and being made aware of New Brunswick’s
obesity rate, Camp Neigh Organization proposed the integration of a summer camp. The purpose of the
camp is essentially to integrate a healthier lifestyle for the children of New Brunswick. With activities
including cooking demonstrations and various games and sports, we aim to positively impact the
population.

Brief Summary of proposed project​ ​Our intention is to create a summer camp for elementary and
middle school- aged children that will run from late-June until late-August. The camp will
employ diverse instructional methods in order to deliver fun, age-group-specific, nutritional
lessons and physical activities to children. Throughout the duration of their day at camp, children
will also be provided with a well-balanced lunch and two snacks. The camp season will conclude
with a carnival to which parents and guardians will be invited. The carnival will include nutrition
education activities, along with rides and games, that will integrate both parents/guardians and
their children

b. Specific aims. Indicate goals of this specific project. [5]

Ultimately, t​he Camp Neigh Organization’s main goal is to implement a summer camp in hopes
of positively influencing the target population. After studying said population, we observed factors that
we believe influenced the obesity rate of children in New Brunswick, which exceeds that of the national
average. These factors included: 1. Children’s lack of access to nutritious foods. According to the New
Jersey Childhood Obesity Survey, “almost all of New Brunswick children (88%) do not meet
recommendations for vegetable consumption”. 2. Few safe, open spaces conducive to adequate physical
activity levels. 3. Limited nutritional knowledge on part of both children and their parents/guardians. ​In
the 2011 New Jersey Childhood Obesity Study, 55% of students report that they are involved in
physical activity for two or fewer days a week at school (Lloyd, et al, 2011). Additionally, the
target population is reported to have the lowest rates of physical activity at school compared to
other populations (Pellerano et. al, 2014).​ ​The same study conducted a survey and noted that the
majority of elementary and middle schools are located in heavily populated areas in New
Brunswick (Lloyd, et al, 2011). However, the parks and other physical activity centers are not.
They are primarily spread around the boundaries of the city (Lloyd, et al, 2011). 19% of children
do not have any parks in their neighborhoods, and an additional 42% state that there are no
exercise facilities in their area at all (Lloyd, et al, 2011) ​Thus, as an organization we aim to to
positively impact the health status of New Brunswick’s youth through the implementation of Camp
Neigh.

c. Assessment of need. Indicate why this problem deserves attention (how this project derived from
your community assessment). [5]
Earlier in the year, with the help of Rutgers University’s Childhood Obesity Study, the Camp
Neigh Organization concluded that the rate of obesity in the children of New Brunswick was much higher
than the national average (48% in New Brunswick vs. 21% nationally for overweight and obese). With
rates this high, it is clearly a problem that must be a​ ddressed​. In addition, when factoring in the
socioeconomic situations of the geographic area, the issues become even more critical. ​Poor access to
healthcare, which often results in poor health in children, is disproportionately high in
low-income communities (Thomas, 2014). New Brunswick is no exception with nearly 50% of
the adolescent population either obese, overweight, or at risk.

d. Rationale for approach. Evidence-based support for your approach for your support [5]
During the last several years, the rates of obesity have been increasing among the ages of
6-19 years. Although school-based programs are often attempted, time for physical education has
declined, and alternative approaches need to be implemented. Activities that are executed in a
summer camp like Camp Neigh, aim to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating
habits through nutrition education for children. According to a study done on non-curricular
approaches for increasing physical activity in youth, results showed that children were active
during school break periods and ​inexpensive interventions increased activity during these breaks.
It was concluded that physical activity can be increased during school break periods through
youth organizations and daily summer camps (Baranowski, 2004).
 II. Project Description: Kerry Conlon

a.​ T
​ arget audience. Indicate who/how many will be educated or receive intervention. [3]

Camp Neigh’s target audience includes low-income children in first through eighth grades from
New Brunswick Public Schools. Camp Neigh will accept 120 children total, including fifteen children
from each of the eight grade levels.

b.​ D
​ etails of program. Outline of procedures that are to be followed. [12]

​In order to attend Camp Neigh, children must be recommended by their public school teachers.
Recommendations may be based on good grades; however, Camp Neigh has devised other
recommendation criteria with the awareness that diverse socioeconomic circumstances may influence
student grades in different ways. As such, Camp Neigh welcomes recommendations based on consistent
positive behaviors and academic effort, even if such effort does not necessarily result in the highest
marks.
Each day at Camp Neigh will include several periods of physical activities. Physical activities
will take place in the context of games and sports that children are known to enjoy; the goal is for children
to feel they are having fun . Activities of various intensities will be offered in order to cater to the diverse
physical activity levels of children. Through these daily physical activities, Camp Neigh hopes to
encourage the development of healthy, more active hobbies and enhance children’s overall health by
summer’s end.
Camp Neigh will also provide 120 minutes of nutrition education each day. Five units will be
covered over the course of the ten-week program, each unit expected to last approximately two weeks.
These units seeks to address questions such as:
i.​ ​What does it mean to be healthy? What is healthy eating?

ii.​ ​What are the major food groups? Why is it important to eat a variety of foods from each food

group?
iii.​ ​What foods are bad for you? What should you eat less of and why?

iv.​ ​What is physical activity? What does it include? How much should you get?

v.​ ​How can students take what they’ve learned throughout the duration of camp and apply it to their

lives outside of camp on a longer-term basis?

Camp Neigh has designated a three-month period prior to the start of camp during which detailed lesson
plans relevant to these five topic units will be developed. One example of a lesson that will be used for
Unit II is…..CONTINUE/NEEDS EDITING

1. A 50-minute lunch period during which cold lunch will be prepared by Camp Neigh staff in
facilities donated by The IFNH.
2. A 50-minute creative activity. Children will engage in a different creative activity each day of the
week, including painting, acting/theater, singing, dancing, and music.
3. A 10-minute snack break during which snacks will be provided.
4. Each day will end with a 55-minute free period before children leave for the day. During this
period, children are free to play or relax individually or with their peers.

c.​ D
​ uration of program. 2 aspects: length of program, time commitment by participants. [4]

Camp Neigh will be a ten-week program that will begin on the first Monday in late-June when
public schools are on summer recess and continue until the last Friday in August. The camp will run for
seven hours each weekday from 8 A.M. until 3 P.M. Camp Neigh chose an early 8 A.M. start-time with
the hope that it would make drop-off easier for working parents and guardians. Furthermore, Camp Neigh
recognizes that many parents and guardians may struggle to pick their children up at 3 P.M. Thus, Camp
Neigh will assist with organization of a free carpooling program among parents and guardians as well as
provide bus transportation per agreement with Rutgers University Transportation Services (see Rutgers
University Letter of Support).

d.​ S
​ etting. Indicate where the program will take place. [2]

Camp Neigh will take place on Rutgers University’s Cook-Douglass Campus. Due to low traffic
during the summer months, the university has agreed to allow Camp Neigh to utilize the indoor
Cook-Douglass Recreation Center as well as surrounding outdoor fields free of charge. Also included in
the university’s support is free access to the Cook-Douglass Health Center in the event that a student
requires medical attention while at camp (see Rutgers University Letter of Support). In addition, The New
Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health has donated The Center for Childhood Nutrition and
Research one day per week for Camp Neigh’s weekly kitchen activity (See IFNH Letter of Support).

e. Roles of staff. Indicate responsibilities of all personnel (your specific roles/titles, e.g.,
Project Director, Nutrition Instructor, Phlebotomist). [4]
-Summer Camp Director: Registered Dietitian
-Assistant Director: Bachelor’s in a relevant field and relevant work experience
-Wellness Instructors ($3,000 per week)

III. Project Evaluation ​– [​Chelsea Cotugno​]

a. Formative evaluation. Indicate what will be done to monitor ongoing delivery. [5]
Our program aims to receive 100% satisfaction from our campers. Therefore, to assess
contentment of our program, several measures will be taken. One measure will be to determine what each
camper is taking away from each week of camp. For this, camp counselors will sit with the campers for
“Weekly Sum-up” during which each camper will be asked what their favorite activity was during that
week, what they learned, and what they wish would have been different. The counselors will be
responsible for recording the answers to these questions so that campers think of this more as a
conversation than an assignment.
Another form of measuring the contentment of our program will be for surveys to be sent home to
the parent(s) of each camper. These surveys will have questions that assess the parent(s) satisfaction with
our program and will ask for overall suggestions. These surveys will be sent home halfway through Camp
Neigh so that any simple adjustments that are suggested can be made before the end of the program.
Other, more complicated suggestions, can be implemented during the following year of the program.
b. Summative evaluation. What outcomes will be used to measure success. [5]
During the first week of camp, a survey will be sent home with each camper to assess how much
time they spend doing certain activities such as playing outside, watching TV, playing online games or
video games, helping their parent(s) prepare dinner, etc. Campers will also be asked to answer questions
in which they have to choose the best solution in a situation. One example of this would be “ You find
that you are feeling hungry. What type of snack do you choose to eat?”. Campers will then be given
healthy and less healthy snack options to choose from. After completing this survey, the campers will
return it and spend the summer enjoying their time at Camp Neigh. During the last week of camp, the
same survey will be sent home with each camper for them to complete for a second time. This is so that
we can compare any possible changes or influences Camp Neigh has had on the children’s healthful
behaviors. The same survey will then be mailed out to each camper for a third, and final, time about one
or two months after Camp Neigh has concluded to assess the retention of any healthful behaviors that
were acquired during the time that the campers had attended Camp Neigh.
c. Challenges. Anticipate any problems and how they may be minimized. [5]
There are a couple anticipated challenges with the execution of Camp Neigh. One challenge is
the unpredictability of the weather. Rain or shine, Camp Neigh will be open, but certain activities will
need to be adjusted if it is raining or if the temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is
considered uncomfortable and possibly hazardous for children. During times of cruel weather, campers
will be redirected to participating in activities indoors instead of outdoors. Only during times of disastrous
weather, such as a hurricane or any point in which there is a declared “State of Emergency” will Camp
Neigh be closed until the weather no longer poses a severe threat.
Another anticipated challenge with the execution of Camp Neigh may be the language barriers.
Because over 50% of New Brunswick residents are of hispanic descent, we want to make sure that we
have an adequate amount of staff who are able to speak Spanish (New Brunswick, NJ. (2015). Retrieved
December 09, 2017). Our goal is to have at least one counselor that speaks both Spanish and English in
each age group. This will prevent any embarrassment or misunderstandings with children who may speak
Spanish better than they speak English.
d. Future directions. Suggest how this pr ogram could be improved or expanded. [5].
With any summer camp, there is always room for improvement. Responses from the formative
evaluations, which take place throughout the entirety of the program, will be used to determine any
changes that should be made to the execution of the program during the summer. Responses from both the
formative and summative evaluations will be used to improve upon the program for the following
summer. After Camp Neigh has made adjustments based on any feedback, and has successfully run for a
few consecutive years, then we hope to expand our program to another area in New Jersey where there is
need for Camp Neigh.
e. Plan for sustainability. Identify sources of support after REF funding period ends. [5]
After hopefully receiving funding from REF this year, our program plans to expand to qualify for
funding from other sources such as those which support programs for child nutrition. Programs like the
Administration for Children and Families, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Newman’s Own
Foundation provide support for programs like Camp Neigh. New Brunswick Tomorrow is a local
non-profit organization that identifies community needs and issues and develops solutions to improve the
livelihood of the community. Partnering with this local organization would help to build a reputation of
our program and allow us to have more resources for support. Also, support from local political
office-holders is important to the sustainability of Camp Neigh. There are several county officials in
Middlesex County whom advocate for a healthier and more active lifestyle as well as promoting better
education about healthy lifestyles. Charles E. Tomaro, whom holds the chair of county Administration in
Middlesex County, is dedicated to his goal of improving the quality of life for Middlesex County
residents (Middlesex County 2014). Another important leader to get involved is Freeholder Kenneth
Armwood, Chair of Business Development and Education Committee. With the support of these local
officials, organizations, and national organizations, Camp Neigh should have a promising future.

References:
1. New Brunswick, NJ. (2015). Retrieved December 09, 2017
2. “Elected Officials.” Middlesex County, 2014,
www.middlesexcountynj.gov/Government/ElectedOfficials/Pages/default.aspx.

IV. Project Supplements** ​– [indicate section author, first and last name]
a. Measurement materials. Sample lesson or survey tool as applicable. [5]
b. Timeline. Lay out, month-by-month, project activities to be implemented (See handout;
Table 14-1 in your text may also be instructive). [6]
c. Budget. One page spreadsheet for costs, e.g., personnel, materials, rental fees (See
handout; Table 14-2 in your text may also be instructive). [8]
d. Letters of support. Include 2 letters from cooperating agencies, donors. [2]
e. Staff resumes. One-page resumes of key staff (team members). [4]

** Pages for section IV do not count toward 10-page maximum

● Lloyd, Kristen, MPH, Yedidia, Michael, PhD, Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam, PhD, RD. “New
​

Jersey Childhood Obesity Study.” Publications, May 2011,

www.cshp.rutgers.edu/Downloads/8800.pdf​.
● Thomas, Lillian. “Poor Health: Poverty and Scarce Resources in U.S. Cities.” Poor
Health, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2014,
newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/longform/stories/poorhealth/1/.
● Pellerano, Maria B., and Eric Jahn. “Measurement to Promote a Healthier New
​

Brunswick.” Survey of New Brunswick, 2014,

rwjms.umdnj.edu/community_programs/measurement_healthier_nb.pdf.
● Jago, R., & Baranowski, T. (2004, July). Non-curricular approaches for increasing
physical activity in youth: a review. Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15207997
●