Interior Schools Reach Out to Slow Diabetes: In response to the prevalence of diabetes and obesity among Native Americans a combined effort between former All-American football standout and Rhodes scholar Myron Rolle and the U.S. Government is leading to a high specific program developed for American Indian schools.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar discussed the program with Native American Times, “Our objective in this initiative is to inspire American Indian and Native Alaskan students to live healthier lifestyles through exercise, outdoor activity, and proper nutrition. The program developed by the Myron Rolle Foundation will celebrate the uniqueness of their heritage and identity in curriculum, develop trust amongst peers, train leaders and involve the community to ensure their needs are met.”

Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk called the initiative “innovative” and claimed, “Children and their families [are encouraged] to incorporate physical fitness and healthy choices into their daily lives.”

The new program aimed at middle school students is called One Way to Health and is being implemented in five Interior run Indian schools in New Mexico and Arizona.

Myron Rolle told Native American Times, “I am inspired by the way American Indian tribes have persevered and thrived, while retaining their cultural heritage and identity. There are, however, significant health concerns that challenge this population — in particular diabetes and obesity.  Through the Our Way to Health Program, our goal is to encourage and help American Indian children in middle school to begin managing not only their own diet and exercise but, hopefully by extension, influence the adults in their lives to also begin adopting healthy life style changes.”

Native American Times discussed the origins of the program by saying, “One Way to Health provides incentive-based learning experiences, team-building physical activities in the outdoors, health education and diabetes awareness sessions. Rolle initially developed the curriculum for American Indian fifth-graders at a charter school in Okeechobee, Florida, when he was working with the Seminole Tribe.”

If the program is successful in the New Mexico and Arizona schools it has the potential of expanding. The program is not a one-size-fits-all proposition either. The program allows for variations between schools to best reach the student base that will be engaged in what it offers. Rolle plans to visit each school twice and participants who successfully complete the program will be taken to either an NFL or collegiate football game.

The Native American Times report indicates, “Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education serves 42,000 students in 183 schools and dormitories across the country on 64 reservations in 23 states.”

This isn’t the only health gesture offered by Myron Rolle. His family came from the Bahamas and he is working to give back to those living there. ESPN reported, “Myron Rolle and his family… announced plans to build the Myron L. Rolle Medical Clinic and Sports Complex, in Steventon, Exuma in the Bahamas.”

Rolle told ESPN, “It’s really pertinent, because the people of Exuma, if there is something really serious happening to them, medically, at night especially, and they have to catch a flight to Nassau, the main island, it’s very inconvenient, and a lot of people can’t afford that flight.” This medical and sports complex is expected to be operational by 2012.

It is expected that Rolle will enter the NFL draft in 2010 after completing a master’s degree program in England, but Rolle continues to make an impact even before he accepts a new jersey.