In September 1988, Seattle's Hope Heart Institute launches the “Heart Improvement Program,” a multidisciplinary effort to teach “heart healthy” habits to elementary students. The pilot project, involving fourth graders in three Seattle schools, becomes the basis for “Kids Take Heart,” a key component in the institute’s educational program.
The Hope Heart Institute, founded in 1959 by heart surgeon Lester R. Sauvage (1926-2015), originally focused on clinical research, particularly in the field of blood vessel grafts and artificial heart valves. In the early 1980s, the institute broadened its mission to include the prevention as well as the treatment of cardiovascular disease. "We want to keep people from becoming patients," Sauvage said. "We want to keep those who have one operation from having to get a second or third. I want to put myself out of business" (The Seattle Times, 1981).
The "Heart Improvement Program" included games and other activities designed to teach young students about the anatomy of the heart, the causes of heart disease, and the impact of "heart healthy" choices about food and exercise. The program was so popular with teachers that it was expanded to include grades three through five and offered to schools throughout the Puget Sound region. It also became the model for other educational programs offered by the Hope, including Youth Take Heart, aimed at students in middle and high school; and Women Take Heart, aimed at women and families.
The curriculum for these programs was developed in collaboration with the Department of Engineered Biomaterials at the University of Washington and health science educators. Kids Take Heart is characterized by a hands-on approach. Young students learn about the anatomy of the heart by holding squeezable models in their hands. They conduct experiments to simulate clogged arteries. They play various games (such as "food pyramid relay") to learn about portion sizes and fat content in food. Older students are offered cooking classes to encourage healthier eating habits. They can also explore ways to diagnose and treat heart disease by playing an internet-based CD-ROM game called "Guy Simplant: The Case of the Ailing Heart," developed by the University of Washington.
"I think we need to change the message about heart disease, which is don’t do this or you’ll get a heart attack," says Dr. Margaret Allen, head of the Department of Translational Medicine and Public Health for the Hope Heart Program at Benaroya Research Institute. "It’s a negative message and fear isn’t a great motivator. So perhaps it’s better to make kids think ‘I want to be healthy’ or ‘I want to be strong,’ and that’s something kids can relate to better than ‘don’t do this or don’t do that’ " (www.king5.com).
