KID HEALTHY

Kid Healthy works to improve health, wellness and nutrition by engaging school children and families from the most underserved communities of Southern California through culturally appropriate health and wellness programs that measurably increase nutrition and fitness levels. Launched in 2003, our first effort became one of the largest obesity prevention campaigns in California. The Steps to Healthy Living campaign engaged over 95,000 students, parents, and teachers in 4 counties. Its 10 year successful integration into the school environment allowed Kid Healthy to focus on the development of its two newer outreach programs. In 2009, Kid Healthy initiated Padres en Acción, an innovative parent-led structured recess program. Kid Healthy created a hands-on training course that empowers parents to engage in school wellness policy, advocacy, and directly increase the level of physical activity through the structured recess component with a regular presence of parent volunteers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They provide organized, heart increasing, skill based physical activities during lunch recess. Currently implemented in 33 schools, Padres En Accion is a proven model of success that we plan to further replicate in other schools and school districts. In 2011, we partnered with the Healthy Schools Campaign and hosted the first California edition of Cooking up Change® a national cooking contest. This program provides high school students from Title I schools the tools to transform the school lunch menu, develop valuable culinary skills, increase their self-esteem, and become leaders in school food reform. Each team is partnered with a professional chef mentor who cultivates the students overall skill set. The winning team from Orange County will move on to compete against 10 other cities at the national competition in Washington, DC. Kid Healthy's OC teams finished in 1st place in 2012, 2013, and 2014 and earned a 2nd place finish in 2015.