"Ready. Set. ACTION!"
Obesity Prevention

Ready. Set. ACTION! is a program and a play performed by students in grades 4-7, which increases awareness of obesity and its health consequences, creates a supportive school and family climate, provides students and their families with information and activities to develop healthy nutritional habits, and increase their levels of physical activity.  Music and hip hop dances make this play a fun experience for the performers and the audience. 

Overall, the goal of Ready. Set. ACTION! is to change student’s behaviors related to eating and physical activity, while recognizing the important role that parents play in their child’s behaviors. This is accomplished over approximately 20 sessions of fun activities with lessons about healthy eating and active living culminating in a play performance. It can be an after-school program or in-class residency.

Illusion Theater developed Ready. Set. ACTION! in cooperation with the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. They trained IlluminArt teaching artists who have conducted the program at PS 31, PS 65, and the Gerard Carter Community Center.  

The philosophy used to guide Ready. Set. ACTION! is to motivate students to engage in healthy behaviors from a place of feeling good about their bodies and therefore wanting to take care of themselves. The following diagram attempts to depict our behavioral targets as guided by the program’s overall philosophy:

IlluminArt Productions is so proud of their PS 57 students. These talented children were part of our 20 week CASA program about healthy eating and active living that culminated with a play performance for grades 2-5 and their families.