News and Press

Who’s Who has awarded Dr. Andi Fletcher the 2011 Professional of the Year representing the Educational Consulting Industry.

Andi is currently the Chief Afterschool Consultant for the Center for Collaborative Solutions and a nationally recognized expert, keynote speaker, author, workshop presenter and coach in afterschool program and leadership development. Andi is leading CCS’ Healthy Behaviors Initiative and is the author of Changing Lives, Saving Lives, A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Exemplary Practices in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Food Security in Afterschool Programs. Earlier this year, Andi was also recognized at the 2011 BOOST conference with the 2011 OSTI Pioneer award for her leadership in the afterschool field.

LA County Helps Families Get Healthy During Back-to-SchoolThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's RENEW LA County initiative is helping families eat right and get healthy this fall with the release of a new video series showing how to make nutritious and tasty meals using MyPlate, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's symbol for healthy eating. Read More.

Central Valley Health Network, in collaboration with the City of Madera, is one of seven HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) Zone Communities chosen by Kaiser Permanente to receive a three-year $1 million grant to help improve the health in Madera. CVHN received this opportunity through the untiring work of the Central Valley Health & Nutrition Collaborative (CVHNC) and its committed partners, including HBI Learning Community Madera Club Yes. The grant supports new and existing efforts to eliminate sugary foods and beverages from schools, provide fresh fruits and vegetables at neighborhood stores and increase access to free or low-cost physical activities for Madera residents.

Some after school programs are taking part in the Harvest of the Month club, a program that provides a taste of locally-grown produce as well as state-approved curriculum to be used in the classroom. The teacher and parent volunteers receive fact sheets about the fruit that they can incorporate into their lesson plans once a month. The students also receive a newsletter they can take home with them to share with their parents that includes nutritional information about the produce and a recipe to use at home. Read More.

First Lady, Retailers Announce Expansion into Food Deserts
Last week First Lady Michelle Obama joined leaders from major retailers, foundations, and small businesses to announce commitments for expanding more than 1,500 stores to serve communities throughout the country that currently do not have access to fresh produce and other healthy foods. These stores estimate that they will create tens of thousands of jobs and serve approximately 9.5 million people throughout the country. Currently, 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that lack stores likely to sell affordable and healthy foods. Studies have shown that limited access to healthy food choices can lead to poor diets, higher levels of obesity, and other diet-related diseases. Read the fact sheet on the announcement here.

Mt. Diablo CARES students (with others from around the state) took a trip to the State Capitol to educate legislators about the importance of their summer program for learning and nutrition. Read More.

National Prevention and Healthy Promotion Strategy
The Obama Administration has released its National Prevention and Healthy Promotion Strategy, a comprehensive plan to help increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of their lives. Afterschool programs are well equipped to support two of the strategies, Building healthy and safe community environments and Empowering people to make healthy choices. To view the Strategy, click here.

The Nutrition and Physical Activity
Committee of the CA AfterSchool Network
has produced this new, one-page resource for use by the field in educating local policy makers (superintendents, principals, school boards) on the value of Nutrition and Physical Activity for academic achievement, addressing the obesity crisis, and the role afterschool can play. (You could also use it to educate your own staff.) The CA AfterSchool Network paid for the graphic design work and is printing copies. You can also download it by clicking here.

Why Place and Race Matter
A new report has been released by PolicyLink and The California Endowment. Why Place and Race Matter makes the undeniable case that race must be central to the decisions made by policymakers, advocates, and community leaders if we ever hope to close the racial health gap. This new report builds off long-standing research showing that life outcomes can be dramatically improved by changing the economic, social, and physical environments we live in. Why Place and Race Matter brings a new and crucial dimension – the central and ever-present role of race in building truly healthy communities. Download Why Place and Race Matter.

The California Endowment hosted a site visit at one of the HBI Learning Center sites, Frank del Olmo Elementary School in Los Angeles, for 30 funders from across the nation. Funders observed A World Fit For Kids! exemplary afterschool programming including quality physical activities, nutrition education and healthy snack demonstrations at the site's Snack Shack. Read More.

After school program LA’s BEST offers enrichment to pupils and achieves results. LA’s BEST is part of the Healthy Behaviors Initiative and is developing a Healthy Behaviors Learning Center. Read More.

Nearly one in five Americans struggled to afford enough food for themselves and their families in 2010, according to a new report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Read More.

Childhood obesity has become a major driver behind increased health care costs for employers. Read More.

The Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts has updated
its database that tracks state action on childhood obesity. The database is interactive, and users can sort by a national map, region or legislative issue areas including school nutrition, physical activity, and task forces or committees. Visit the Database.

White House Report issues on the importance of reconnecting children, youth and families with nature. The report highlights the health benefits of outdoor recreation and the barriers many Americans face to spending more time outdoors. Read the Initiative here, and the Report Release here.

CCS Consultant Andi Fletcher is featured on BOOST
Collaborative’s Breakfast Club Blog advising afterschool programs to make sure their legislators know the economic benefits of their afterschool programs (with specific advice on steps to take). Read More.

New poll shows that more California voters are very concerned today about childhood obesity than were eight years ago. Read More.

The long-awaited 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government's evidence-based nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity,” were released January 31, 2011. Selected Messages for Consumers provide 6 key messages to Americans who want to eat healthier. Read More.

New front of food labels are misleading according to the Prevention Institute. Read more.

• New Foundation will Bring Americans Together to Target Childhood Obesity
• Only one in three California Students pass state's physical fitness test.
• RWJF Poll Finds Americans Think Disease Prevention Central to Health Reform.
• New research shows strong parental support for healthier schools.
• School garden resources available from the We Garden in Capitol Park project and more.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation survey of parents finds overwhelming support for increased physical activity and improved nutrition at schools.
• Governors' Summit Promotes Aligned Efforts for Children.
• Leading Health Foundations Say Prevention is Vital to Health Systems Reform.
• Obesity is a Crushing Weight on US Health Care (SF Chronicle article, August 16, 2009).
• America's Best and Worst Burgers.
• Network for a Healthy California-Latino Campaign Offers Free Healthy Latino Cookbook.
• Childhood Hunger in the News: FRAC Releases Report-Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015.
• Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher provides recommendations to help children eat well, play more and be ready to learn
• New Study Finds Physically Fit Students Perform Better on Academic Tests.