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Community Involvement
A significant focus of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield mission is working
with Arkansas citizens to emphasize wellness and prevention and help create a state
of better health in Arkansas. This focus has generated several community-outreach
programs.
Blue & Youth Health Program
The Blue & Youth Health Program is a community relations effort designed
to improve the health status of our communities — starting with the young
people of Arkansas. The Blue & Youth Health Program encourages healthy
behaviors by teaching students about choices that can contribute to healthy or unhealthy
lifestyles.
The name of the Blue & Youth Health Program — and its central character,
BlueAnn Ewe — is a play on the words of our corporate theme, "Blue & You.
Together. For a State of Better Health." BlueAnn Ewe, who serves as our health-and-wellness
ambassador, is a 6-foot-tall blue sheep, who appears as a costumed and animated
character. In more than eight years, BlueAnn has become well known around the state,
and the program has reached more than 700,000 young people with a health message
through its core components.
Arkansas Blue Cross developed and partnered with community organizations to develop
and/or sponsor the core components of the Blue & Youth Health. Those
components are:
BlueAnn Ewe's Healthy Class Act
This high-energy and interactive, fun approach to health, wellness and safety, is
taught in first-grade classrooms throughout the state and features BlueAnn Ewe.
A coloring book serves as a guide for the lesson, and the presenter uses it and
colorful props, including papier maché fruits and vegetables, a jump rope, stethoscope,
bicycle horn and an oversized toothbrush. The 35-minute presentation quizzes students
and allows them to participate in the presentation by brushing BlueAnn's teeth,
jumping rope with her, and listening to her heart. Each student receives a coloring
book at the end of the lesson, and a BlueAnn doll stays behind to become the class
health mascot.
High School Heroes
 High School Heroes is
a unique student-to-student teaching program with a strong anti-smoking message
targeting fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. The program, developed
by the American Lung Association, is sponsored statewide by Arkansas Blue Cross.
Specially trained high school students — High School Heroes — present
an anti-smoking message to young students in their school district.
Using brainstorming, role-playing, discussion and question-and-answer, Heroes serve
as role models for the younger students. With the message coming from another young
person instead of an adult, the message is more readily accepted and students are
more motivated to emulate the Hero's behavior. In addition, the Hero learns leadership
and presentation skills and is motivated to remain tobacco-free. BlueAnn Ewe is
on the agenda at all High School Heroes media kickoffs, teaching kids how to do
the "BlueAnn Stomp," a rap-dance written by a group of Heroes.
BlueAnn Health Club
 A free club with a two-year
membership, the BlueAnn Health Club provides individual children, ages 5 to 10,
with opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles and participate in activities.
The goal is to encourage overall healthy behaviors and involve parents in the process.
The Club includes incentives and rewards for participating in activities. Members
get an ID card and membership certificate, as well as a poster and two birthday
cards. Following the initial membership packet, Health Club members receive quarterly
packets which include a newsletter, activity sheet, special gift and a business-reply
envelope. Packets contain information and activities on health topics including
nutrition, exercise, safety, hygiene, dental health, emotions and drug/tobacco prevention.
BlueAnn Class Club
 The classroom equivalent of the
Health Club, the free BlueAnn Class Club is designed for kindergarten and first-grade
classrooms. Teachers enroll their classes and utilize the Club materials at their
discretion. Membership is for one school year and provides incentives and rewards
for practicing healthy behaviors. Class Clubs get three packets of information and
activities during the school year.
"BlueAnn Rocks"
 Twelve
animated musical television commercials feature BlueAnn, kids and some colorful
characters who sing health messages regarding nutrition, peer pressure, exercise,
safety, hygiene, dental health, sleep, avoiding tobacco, using your mind, and emotions.
The spots are shown on children's television programming on network and cable channels,
including Nickelodeon.
BlueAnn's Wild & Woolly
Web site
BlueAnn's fun Web site for kids contains health information and activities. Visitors
can vote in a weekly poll, play games, watch the "BlueAnn Rocks" music videos, listen
to the radio spots, join the health club, print out activity and color sheets, read
about healthy goodies, look through BlueAnn's scrapbook, read her fan mail, view
a schedule of BlueAnn's appearances and more. The address is http://www.BlueAnnEwe-ark.com.
Museum of Discovery Kiosk/Game
 A multi-dimensional, colorful kiosk, located at the
Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, lets kids play an interactive computer game
about health called "Who Wants to Feel Like a Million Bucks?" BlueAnn hosts the
game wearing a Regis-like monochromatic suit and asks kids for their "final" answers.
Arkansas Blue Cross realizes that influencing lifestyle changes, which will lead
to improved health in future generations, will take a long-term commitment, and
the impact will be seen slowly, over time. We also realize that we are one voice
in the mix of impressions made on kids daily. But Arkansas Blue Cross is committed
to a state of better health in Arkansas for adults and children alike.
Other Community Service
Arkansas Blue Cross strives to be a positive force in the communities we serve.
Besides providing financial support, our employees participate in many fund-raising
and health-education activities for local, nonprofit organizations that improve
the quality of life for Arkansas citizens.
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