News

HOST Members Respond to COVID-19

March 18, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19). Image credit: CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMSAs the world grapples with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), HOST members are stepping up with a variety of ideas to support children, families, and out-of-school-time professionals.

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Follow the Healthy Day Checklist and Bring Healthy OST to Life

January 23, 2020

Boy with plate of foodBy Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH, Director of Community Partnerships, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Twitter: @hatchdw E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For over 10 years, the Healthy Out-of-School Time (HOST) Coalition and our partners have worked together to support before-school, afterschool and summer camp educators in bringing the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) to life. From the successful Commit to Health campaign, which impacted nearly 500,000 youth, to a suite of easy to use resources including a new printable self-assessment, the Coalition has accomplished much.

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HOST's 2019 Accomplishments

December 18, 2019

HOST 2019

Ten years after its founding in 2009, HOST members continue to drive healthier habits for children and youth and show the benefits of the National AfterSchool Association’s Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards. Here are some of the highlights of 2019:

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Celebrate National School Lunch Week

October 16, 2019

NSLW2019 FacebookIt's National School Lunch Week, which President John F. Kennedy created in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life! Here some resources to observe it in your school!

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Fun and Easy Fruit and Veggie Ideas for Healthy Kids

September 24, 2018

boy eating appleSeptember is Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month. The National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards, developed by HOST, recommend a fruit or vegetable at every snack or meal. We’re therefore pleased to share these fun ideas from Elizabeth Starr, a research associate at the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (a HOST member), who’s tested them all with her own kids!

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Afterschool Webinar: Latest Strategies for Bringing Health & Wellness to OST

September 18, 2018

kids running on trackResearch shows that parents want healthy options in out-of-school time. Adding fun activities, warm-ups, and healthy enrichment, as well as nutritious snacks and meals, is a great way to engage families and attract new students to your program. A webinar this week from several HOST members will introduce you to the newly refreshed National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards (HEPA 2.0) and you'll leave with simple and inexpensive resources to make your afterschool and summer programming inclusive, active, healthy, and fun.

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HOST Members Recognized for Leadership in Research and Evaluation

June 29, 2018

NAAAnnouncementThe National AfterSchool Association (NAA), a HOST member and the lead organization for the advancement of the afterschool professional, has recognized two other HOST members among the NAA’s Most Influential in Research and Evaluation for 2018. Honorees are distinguished for their contributions to research and evaluation on youth and adolescent development.

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$25,000 Grants Available for Out-of-School Time Programs

January 30, 2018

nrpa commitThe National Recreation and Park Association, a HOST member, has announced the availability of grant funds from the Walmart Foundation to support children's health through park and recreation out-of-school-time programs.

Grants in 2018 will focus on three main goals:

  1. Increasing the number of healthy meals children receive through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during out-of-school times;
  2. Providing evidence-based nutrition literacy to children and families that creates behavior change, including increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; and
  3. Implementing healthy living practices and policies aligned with the evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity standards that increase access to healthier foods and support a healthy environment.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be a local government agency (e.g., municipal park and recreation department, tribal recreation department, park district, community services department, etc.)
  • Serve meals/snacks through the SFSP and/or the CACFP or NSLP in 2018
  • Have not received funding from NRPA for a previous healthy out-of-school time grant

Applications are due at 11:59PM EST on Friday, March 16, 2018 and must be submitted online. NRPA anticipates funding twenty (20) local park and recreation agencies with one-year, $25,000 grants.

Learn more and apply!

Texas Looks to Out-of-School Time to Improve Youth Health

March 7, 2017

texas seal 250Texas ranks seventh highest among all states in adolescents that are overweight and obese, with a 2011 youth obesity rate of 20 percent. But with more than 880,000 Texas youth in out-of-school time (OST) programs, according to the Afterschool Alliance, OST providers have the potential to impact children's healthy eating and physical activity. A new study has shown how they are doing so, what more they can do, and how a pending bill could help.

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HOST Member BOKS Featured on Today Show

December 16, 2016

boks studyA recent Today show segment featured HOST member BOKS (Build Our Kids' Success), which offers children a before-school physical activity program. And a new study of BOKS' before-school physical activity program has also found correlations between BOKS activity and improvement of specific executive functions in first- and second-grade children.

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HOST HEPA Roundup, November 18, 2016

November 18, 2016

kids on playscapeThe latest in our regular roundups of healthy eating and physical activity news from HOST members and others.

Success Stories

  • A grant from the Chicago Cubs' Cubs Charities helped Action for Healthy Kids work with eight Chicago Public Schools and nearly 3,400 students to hold one-mile fun runs/walks. Many also offered healthy snacks for runners and some coupled the runs with school-wide health fairs for students and families.
  • The Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts, profiles James A. Cawood Elementary School in Kentucky, where more than 8 in 10 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. A kitchen equipment grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a new combi oven has helped improve the quality and efficiency of food preparation, which in turn has helped boost academic performance.
  • Share Our Strength reports on how Salk Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, worked with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program to pilot a breakfast in the classroom program.
  • The National League of Cities recognized more than 30 cities and counties, and three local leaders, for their efforts to improve nutrition and increase physical activity in their communities through Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties, a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative.
  • Alliance for a Healthier Generation has compiled "15 Inspiring Local Stories from 2016" on the power of healthy out-of-school time.

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