Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey (BGCNJ) is excited to announce the launch of the Breathe Easier with Asthma Management (BEAM) program which is funded by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey (The Foundation). The Foundation has invested $500,000 in this pilot initiative, which will raise awareness about asthma and educate Boys & Girls Club members and their parents or caregivers about asthma and how to most effectively manage it. A component of the program will be to work with youth diagnosed with asthma to improve their overall health and quality of life. The BEAM pilot program will target nine counties in New Jersey where there are high rates of childhood asthma. BEAM will serve 2,500 children ages 5-18 at twelve Boys & Girls Clubs from September 2014 through June 2015. During this pilot implementation, the program is being delivered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Camden County, Clifton, Gloucester, Hudson County, Hawthorne, Mercer County, Salvation Army/Ironbound-Newark, Northwest NJ, Paterson/Passaic County, Perth Amboy, Union County, and Vineland. BGCNJ has partnered with the American Lung Association (ALA) to use their Open Airways for Schools curriculum for youth with asthma. Additionally, ALA has developed the Asthma Awareness program especially for non-asthmatic youth. ALA provided training to Club staff on delivery of these two components and will serve as a resource throughout the program. (read more)
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