I-PAL student monitors a child while using a bike in the lab. Children have the opportunity to use multiple
exercise challenges with IPAL.
Courtesy of I-PAL representatives 

A new program called Project I-PAL (interactive physical activity lab) will begin in Louisiana to prepare college students with real world training for future work with children who struggle with living a healthy lifestyle. The program is partnered between Southeastern Louisiana University and the Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and it will be the first teaching space of its kind in Louisiana.

Associate Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences at Southeastern Dr. Holly Kihm and Dr. Amanda Staiano from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center came across the idea for I-PAL together while in a joint meeting. 

“We talked about developing a program that encouraged healthy habits, including good nutrition, stress management and physical fitness that would be located in White Hall,” said Kihm.

The location at White Hall was an option because they wanted university students to have the opportunity to work with children in a real world environment. The lab recently opened in January and children and students begin to work together to accomplish one goal.

“Dr. Staiano and I wrote a grant proposal to the Louisiana Board of Regents requesting funding for the project,” said Kihm. “We were awarded the grant in the spring of 2015 and began renovations and lab development in the summer of 2015. The lab opened for children in January of 2016. We have 19 children, nine undergraduate students, two graduate assistants, two interns and six additional student helpers that all participate to make the program run smoothly. Children have the opportunity to use kid-size equipment such as: treadmills, elliptical trainers, spin-type bikes, a motorized treadwall and exer-gaming stations.”

Not only is it I-PAL’s goal to teach students how to help children live a healthier life, but it is to help children get more active while living a healthy lifestyle.  

“We have a lot of goals in mind for the program, but mainly we want the children to have the opportunity to participate in a healthy lifestyle program and for our undergraduate students to hone their skills when working with children in a health-related setting,” said Kihm.

Project I-PAL is for students studying family and consumer sciences, social work, counseling, kinesiology, health studies, exercise science, education, nursing and communication sciences and disorders. The children recruited are from elementary schools and the students selected to be part of this project will receive health assessments and exercise lessons from the university and Pennington Biomedical researchers for no cost.

Kihm is excited to see the progress of this program and hopes to continue it for semesters to come. 

“I have been involved in every step,” said Kihm. “From the ideas, to writing for funding, to renovations/purchasing, putting items together and recruiting students and children/families to participate in the program. It is very exciting to see years of hard work pay off this semester with our first students and participants. We look forward to running the program each semester. Students will have the opportunity to register for I-PAL and its accompanying course in the spring. They will be offered as FCS 442_90I and FCS 442_01. Students will need to register for both sections, and will earn six credits.”

For more information about I-PAL, contact Dr. Kihm at [email protected].