Enjoy 10 weeks of fun "together time" designed for families with at least one Kindergarten through 4th grade child. 

BRINGING OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER:
ADVENTURES WITH PAXTON PEACE BUNNY
 
Come have a night out each week and leave the planning to us! Just sign up and we’ll send you the details where to go in town each week on a variety of learning adventures, trying new things and growing together as a family and a community. 

Everyone who lives your home is eligible for the Family Adventure Passport to go on an imaginary trip to Old Town where Paxton Peace Bunny and his friends live.  Your child will receive a small packing list of items found in your home to bring in a "carry on" suitcase each week.  Then after arriving at a location in Old Town, kids will explore fun science and math in the kitchen as they learn how help prepare tasty recipes that will be served around a family dinner table.

 During the hour and a half adventure each week, the family complete games and challenges that earn points that can be redeemed for things like free tickets, family
 t-shirts and grocery bucks.  Simply put, we create the experience that gives families an excuse to eat a healthy meal together and build tighter relationships between parents and their children as well as between siblings.  Come create positive memories together and build a stronger family framework while you guide your child to builds life skills and healthy habits.  And yes they get to meet and play with real bunnies!

Registration for the program is FREE thanks to the generosity of the host company GAV who has over a decade of responding after disasters and Rotary Clubs from across the country along with your local Rotary Club.  The only expense will be the cost of the groceries that you can either pick up and bring with you (weekly shopping list provided to registered families) or you can place an order and we will shop for you and deliver your groceries to the program site for free.

Note:  Many of our activities satisfy advancement requirements for cub scouts, daisy/brownie scouts and 4H.  For children who are members of any of these organizations, we'd be pleased to share written confirmation of activity completion.

Because space is limited and because the program is highly effective because of the consistent participation, thank you for registering only if you intend to attend at least eight of the ten sessions. We know that emergencies may come up and people get sick, so we'll have some make-up activities offered too.

PROGRAM GOALS:
1) Have fun while eating, learning and playing together
2) Increase Family Assets
3) Increase student's 40 Developmental Assets
4) Reinforce good healthy food choices
5) Increase physical activity
6) Decrease risk of Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease
7) Strengthen communities and reduce isolation

The more assets a family has, the more likely they are to engage inhealthy behaviors like maintaining a balanced diet and getting adequate amountsof sleep, exercise, and "down time."  In addition to protecting youth from negative behaviors, having more of the assets increases the chances that young people as they grow will have positive attitudes and behaviors, leadership and success in school.

2012 American Family Assets Study
Syversten, A K, Roehlkepartain, E., Scales, P.C. (2012). Key findings from the America Family Assets Study, Minneapolis, MN, Search Institute.

Save these Tuesdays for Bloomington/Edina MN:
February 19
February  26
March 5
March 12 (college spring break no program),
March 19, 26
April 2, 9, 16,
April 23 (school spring break, no program)
April 30
May 7

Additional locations include Tallahassee FL and Newtown CT.

MORE ABOUT THE BUNNIES:

The real Paxton Peace Bunny is an American Blue Rabbit that lives in Minnesota. We will be bringing some of his relatives to each site for the kids to meet.  Families will have an opportunity to host a bunny in their home for a week if they choose, but it is not a requirement for the program.  Participants will learn about these endangered rabbit breed as a metaphor for their own health and wellness, learning about what choices make a rabbit healthier and about small lifestyle changes that they can do as a family to be healthier -- in all ways -- too.  So it's about fun and together time rather than pointing fingers because we all have room to improve.  Strong healthy families that eat dinner and spend time together are becoming pretty rare too, so we hope to help create the fun, positive excuse to do what we all know we should be doing anyway. 

WHO LEADS THE CLASS:
Student athletes and community volunteers are mobilized by the Global Athlete Village nonprofit organization to guide the group through the curriculum that  in 10 minute modules.  The program sites are schools, community centers or places of worship with a full commercial kitchen.  The program is hosted by a local Rotary Club in partnership with GAV and other community groups that help recruit participants in their congregations, Rotary, schools and scout troops.

FOR MORE DETAILS:
Stephanie Hope Smith, CEO Global Athlete Village 952-888-4311 www.athletevillage.com
Email: hopefulpeacemaker@gmail.com

More about the bunnies and the children's book series:
www.hopefulpeacemaker.com