Michigan After School Partnership

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. Quality after-school programs have been shown to reduce childhood obesity and increase physical activity among participants. They can provide physical activity and nutrition education, healthy snacks and a safe place to play and socialize in the hours after school.

Partnerships

Resources on national, state and local partnerships

• Action for Healthy Kids
• Afterschool Alliance: Active Hours Afterschool
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation
• American Alliance for Health Physical Education and Recreation
• Center for Collaborative Solutions
• Children's Hunger Alliance
• Child Nutrition Foundation
• Federal Food Programs
• Fit Source
• Food Research and Action Center
• Foundation for Child Development
• Girls on the Run
• International Association for the Study of Obesity
• National Dairy Council
• National School Lunch Program: Afterschool Snacks
• National Youth Sports Program
• School Nutrition Association
• The Afterschool Investments Project

Resources on policies such as state legislation, local wellness policies and other administrative changes

• Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide

  Designed for state and local decision makers establishing effective policies to help students achieve their academic potential and adopt lifelong healthy habits.

• Local School Wellness Policies

  One section of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that all school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program have local wellness policies set by July 1, 2006. This site provides tools to help schools create their own wellness policy.

• Model School Wellness Policies

  A comprehensive set of model nutrition and physical activity policies based on nutrition science, public health research and existing practices from exemplary states and local school districts around the country.

• Wellness Policy Tool

  Designed to help teams create a local wellness policy that meets district's goals for nutrition and physical activity. Wellness policies can be customized by cutting and pasting language from existing or model policies gathered from states and districts around the country.

Program Models

Resources on demonstration sites, replicable models and lists of exemplary practices

• EPEC (Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum)

  Grades K-5, students learn nutrition facts and concepts during their physical education instruction. Lessons contain nutrition messages within fun games that get children moving while they learn.

• The Cardiovascular Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity

  Provides a heart disease and stroke prevention program from the Michigan Department of Community Health.

• CDC’s State-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases

  Created to help states prevent obesity and other chronic diseases by addressing two closely related factors — poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity. The program supports states with developing and implementing science-based nutrition and physical activity interventions.

• Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH)

  An evidence-based Coordinated School Health Program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices and prevent tobacco use in elementary aged children. By teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun, CATCH has proved that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behavior change that lasts into adulthood.

• Healthy Children, Healthy Futures

  Curriculum for educating both children and parents to become advocates — through their schools, families and communities — for healthy eating and increased physical activity.

• Jump Into Food and Fitness

  Research-based curriculum for adults and older teens to use with kids aged 8 to 11 (grades 3 to 5). The program encourages win-win situations and keeps kids active most of the time. The activities can easily be adapted for younger (aged 5 to 7) and older children (aged 12 and up).

• KID-FIT

  A physical education program for preschool children (ages 2 - Kindergarten) that provides videos, health statistics and networking opportunities.

• Making It Happen! Nutrition Success Stories from Team Nutrition

  This publication shares stories from 32 schools and school districts that have made innovative changes to improve the nutritional quality of all foods and beverages offered and sold on school campuses.

• Michigan 4-H Children's Garden

  One of the five parts of the Horticultural Demonstration Gardens. It is just over 1/2 acre in size and offers a place where children can participate in outreach activities and learn about plants and the environment.

• ReCharge!

  A fun-for-kids after-school program designed for students in grades 3 to 6 to learn about and practice good nutrition and physical activity habits.

• Sports, Play & Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK)

  Dedicated to improving the quantity and quality of physical activity for children (ages 5-14) and teachers everywhere by disseminating materials, curricula and professional development opportunities.

• Team-Up for Youth

  Created to strengthen and expand after-school sports programs, particularly those serving low-income neighborhoods.

• A World Fit for Kids

  A program to help students improve their own physical, mental and emotional fitness through sports, fitness and peer leadership training. It also offers mentorship training and provides life skills for the student's successful integration into school, the workplace and the larger community.