HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Jump with Jill program coming to school November 26

The rock & roll nutrition show “Jump with Jill” is coming to Holland Elementary School on November 26.

Holland is one of three Detroit area schools that won the show in a statewide contest, thanks to the generosity of Michigan’s own dairy farmers and milk processors and the folks at the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) as part of their “Fuel Up to Play 60 program.”

The statewide tour of Michigan elementary schools runs from October 28 to December 20 and will include 55 schools.

“Jump with Jill” is a live rock and roll nutrition show. Created by registered dietitian and musician Jill Jayne, the show uses singable messages to make healthy habits memorable including eating vegetables ("Superpower Vegetables!"), enjoying fruit ("Nature's Candy") and exercising regularly ("The Beat of Our Body!").

The show has been performed live over 1,000 times for more than a quarter of a million kids all over the United States and Europe and has been featured in national media outlets including Nickelodeon, Sprout PBS, NPR, and The Washington Post.

Armed with catchy songs, upbeat dance moves, and a hip wardrobe, the performance uses the same tools normally used to sell junk food and keep kids sedentary to get kids engaged, moving, and learning about healthy habits.

“We reached over 18,000 students on our spring tour,” said Hailey McDonell, a Detroit-native who stars as “Jill” in the Michigan cast.

“Our goal for our Michigan dairy farmer partnership this year was to make the show accessible for schools that want to make health a part of their educational agenda.”

The cast, which also stars Holland-native Devon Watson as “DJ,” travels in a bright orange van with a giant picture of Jill’s face and a blinged-out milk jug (who prefers to go by his rapper name, Calcium).

Thanks to the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, winning schools not only get a rockin’ performance but also receive “Jump with Jill” educational materials including CDs of the show’s music, posters and nutrition education gifts.

“Dairy is one of easiest and richest ways that kids can get the Calcium they need for strong bones,” said Deanne Kelleher, MS, RD of the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. “We continue to offer ‘Jump with Jill’ to Michigan schools because the show uses behaviorally-focused music to make choosing a drink like milk over soda the coolest thing in the world. Have you seen her perform ‘The Bone Rap’? I mean seriously.”