CARVER CENTER TO BE
HOME FOR COHEN ACADEMY
3/8/11
The Fairfield County Sports Commission announced today that its Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy will initially be housed at the George Washington Carver Community Center in Norwalk. The Commission and the Carver Center began a partnership last year when Carver was named one of three county youth organizations to benefit from Commission financial support.
In 2010, along with the Carver Center, the Stamford Youth Foundation and the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport were also beneficiaries. The Commission again is awarding $2,500 grants to each of these groups, as well as offer assistance throughout 2011 using the vast resources the Commission possesses
(Pictured above) Marc Lyons from Stamford Youth Foundation (left) and Novelette Peterkin of the Carver Center pose in front of the Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy banner along with FCSC president Harry Peden at the announcement that the Carver will be the initial home of the Cohen Academy.
HOME FOR COHEN ACADEMY
3/8/11
In August 2010, the Fairfield County Sports Commission created the Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy, to further honor the late Chelsea Cohen, for whom the Commission’s Courage Award is named since her passing in 2006
The Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy (www.chelseacohenfa.com) is an umbrella program overseen by the Commission. The Academy is a countywide, collaborative effort to provide more awareness and educational focus on having underserved youth have access to a more active and healthy lifestyle. By taking in resources and then distributing those back out to organizations and communities throughout the county that need additional support to sustain and grow their programs, the Academy acts as a complementary partner to those seeking help.
* The Academy works with existing facilities, youth organizations and service providers by offering additional resources to supplement and complement their efforts, while filling in gaps in programs that had previously been very dependent on local, state and federal funding. It’s designed to be the rallying point to engage all important community stakeholders in children’s health, nutrition and in the fight to combat childhood obesity.
* The primary goal of the Academy is to create a year-round vehicle that will offer Fairfield County youth access to the best available fitness trainers, coaches, and health and wellness programs. It will not be sport specific, but rather getting youngsters in the daily habit of leading an active, healthy lifestyle. As the Academy develops, it will also be creating a comprehensive, signature fitness program designed by its advisory board, focused primarily on young girls, using Chelsea as its role model.
* The Sports Commission’s web site is currently being updated to be one of the main vehicles to extend the reach of the Academy. 
By creating a resource hub for health and fitness programs and services available throughout the county, the Commission web site will be a central depository for that information as well as an inventory of youth programs and fitness professionals. The web site also will provide a vast supply of content, including articles, fitness tips, and other educational tools, to make the site the one-stop resource for healthy living for county residents. The web site will be the driving force in sharing best practices and fostering collaborative efforts between communities and youth organizations The Commission's partnership with Stamford Hospital and its staff will be a key element in the web site's efforts.
