WASHINGTON, June 24, 2010 – A reminder to those planning to enter the Apps for Healthy Kids game design competition -- you have until 5:00 pm EDT, June 30, 2010, to submit your entry and be eligible to win $60,000 in prizes. Public voting for popular choice games and apps will begin on July 14 at www.AppsforHealthyKids.com.
“USDA is committed to doing our part to end childhood obesity in this generation and the Apps for Healthy Kids competition is a great way to harness the combined creativity of game developers, local youth and adults to work collaboratively to produce fun, innovative games that promote healthy lifestyles,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We are excited to showcase the talent of our nation’s innovators while encouraging nutritious food choices and physical activity.”
The Apps for Healthy Kids initiative has over 18,000 supporters, and is expected to surpass 20,000 by the close of the submission period. All members of the public are encouraged to visit www.AppsforHealthyKids.com between July 14 and August 14 to vote for your favorite games and tools. Public votes alone will determine the winners of the Popular Choice Awards. Additional prizes will be awarded based on evaluation from an esteemed panel of judges including the likes of Apple Computer Co-Founder Steve Wozniak and Zynga CEO Mark Pincus.
The Apps for Healthy Kids competition (www.AppsforHealthyKids.com) is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to end childhood obesity. Apps for Healthy Kids challenges software developers, game designers, students and other innovators to develop fun and engaging software tools and games that will motivate children, especially tweens – directly or through their parents – to eat better and be more physically active.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an active member of the Let’s Move! team, alongside the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. The Apps for Healthy Kids competition is a collaborative initiative of the Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and its Food and Nutrition Service, the White House Office of the First Lady, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. For more information on the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, visit www.LetsMove.gov.
