Last week at Osceola Elementary School in Naples, kids were gobbling up strawberries – much to the satisfaction of Dawn Hauser, director of nutrition services for Collier County Schools.

A new Southwest Florida non-profit is working to help low-income families save money by giving out cloth diapers and reusable supplies.

Until recently, local families who needed help with the cost of diapers could only get disposables. That’s why Britt Schwartz founded Cloth My Heart; she realized there were no local resources offering cloth diapers.

Students stampede into Bonita Springs Middle School’s gymnasium and flood the bleachers. 

Staples in gym class may evoke mixed emotions in kids. There’s dodgeball, the mile run, getting yelled at for standing around… Sixth-grader Alexis Fisher embodies that attitude. READ MORE

Retired DEA Special Agent, Bob Stutman is in Naples this week giving talks to parents about what he says is really going on in the U.S. with kids and drug use.  WGCU’s John Davis has more.

More than 700 kids in Lee County have been trained so far this year in gang awareness.

Launched by Lee County’s Injury Prevention Coalition – comprised of community leaders, health care workers and educators – the Gang Awareness Training Education (GATE) program is based on a Chicago program started in the '90s that has gone nationwide.

Florida’s Attorney General’s office has identified at least 6,000 gang members within the seven Southwest Florida counties.

In Lee County, GATE is taking its message to where students play and learn -- talking with 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders – students most susceptible to the recruiting tactics of gang members.

Syndi Bultman, a nurse with Lee Memorial Health System, leads the Injury Prevention Coalition.

She says kids join gangs for a number of reasons, including a desire to fit in at school or in their community, to emulate the flashy lifestyle of older gang members or to feel protected from other gangs.

Bultman also says there is a lot of pressure in some communities to belong to a gang.

“Some of ‘em actually end up getting threatened.  They’re fearful of what will happen to their family or their younger brothers and sisters,” says Bultman.

“It teaches them what respect really is.  We teach them anger management.  We work with them in regards to bullying and how they can stop the bullying in a non-violent manner.  We also help them with critical thinking, self-esteem and some leadership skills.”

The program hopes to launch another round of classes in the Ft. Myers Dunbar community later this year.

Researchers at Florida Gulf Coast University are exploring how babies born prematurely learn language, as compared to full term infants. The three year study is funded by the March of Dimes. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more.

Former Governor Jeb Bush, his wife Columba and his parents, former President George H.W. and First Lady Barbara  Bush – along with a host of well known authors – will be in Southwest Florida next Friday to celebrate reading. The annual event is a fundraiser for local family literacy programs and includes a VIP mix and mingle reception for supporters.   Jeb Bush told WGCU’s Valerie Alker the love of reading begins at home.

A pair of 13-month old twin boys drowned in a Port Charlotte swimming pool last weekend, prompting public safety officials to reflect on water safety and children.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Three mornings a week at an elementary school in Fort Myers more than a hundred kids show up early…so they can run laps.  It’s not punishment.  It’s not P.E.  It’s a running club, made possible by the volunteer efforts of one devoted woman.  WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more.

The national Women, Infants and Children program, otherwise known as WIC, has undergone some changes that officials hope will lead to healthier eating habits.  WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports.