The family that learns together can live a heathier life together—at least that’s the idea of the annual Blue Zones Project Virtual Family Summit hosted for Fort Worth residents over the holidays. The 2021 event—online since 2020—offered tips and tricks for better well-being at any age.
Now in its fifth year, the summit is designed to engage every generation through interactive videos with local experts demonstrating nutritious cooking, yoga, gardening, downshifting, and other good-for-you activities—even some related to literacy and financial wellness—that are proven practices for creating longer, better lives. “Adopting healthy habits and sticking to them is easier when you get the whole family involved, especially if it involves fun, simple changes,” said Matt Dufrene, vice president of Blue Zones Project Fort Worth. “We created the Family Summit to help kids, parents and grandparents work together to explore the lifestyles of the world’s longest living people and learn how to incorporate some of those things in their own lives.”
The 2021 event, held last November, was a great success with summit videos viewed more than 1,600 times. Participants included classes from 28 schools in Fort Worth ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD and Keller ISD, as well as families throughout the community viewing the summit together at home. Eligible families and schools recorded their efforts and were awarded prizes for taking part in the summit, and many shared their delight about what they learned.
“I never would have thought audio books would be helpful,” one parent commented about a video that detailed how to foster a love of reading in kids. “I like that idea for my children.” Several participants praised a mindfulness video for its ability to help them unwind and find peace, and others noted that the summit activities were accessible and easy to do. “Gardening is not as hard as I thought it was,” wrote a participant. “I can garden even without a yard.”
Missed the summit? No problem—check out Blue Zones Project Fort Worth’s YouTube channel for the videos in English and Spanish. You’ll find demonstrations and discussions covering an array of topics: delicious ways to prepare vegetables, how to support children’s mental health, diabetes prevention, yoga and breathing exercises, a principal’s tips for keeping kids engaged, the value of self-confidence, and how to make your own moisturizing lotion to care for your skin. For even more ways to live better, visit LiveLongFortWorth.com.
Blue Zones Project Fort Worth is led by Texas Health Resources and partners with businesses, schools, community leaders, and residents to support longer, better lives. Since 2015, more than 94,000 individuals and 364 groups and organizations have worked together to improve well-being. Fort Worth is the nation’s largest certified Blue Zones Community.