HOST Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Roundup, February 2, 2017

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

Events

Register now for the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, March 5 to 7, 2017, in Washington, DC, co-sponsored by the Food Research & Action Center and Feeding America in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum.

Success Stories

Gage Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota used a grant from Action for Healthy Kids, in partnership with University of Minnesota Extension: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed), to support physical activity and nutrition initiatives and create and expand a dedicated school health team.
Afterschool Alliance shares a guest post from its Afterschool Ambassador Beth Wyant, program coordinator of the afterschool program of the Northwest Community Action Center, a division of Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic. Wyant explains how an outdoor education grant will help them continue to follow NAA HEPA Standards and help them teach students habits of fitness for a lifetime.
It's Time Texas offers insight on healthy out-of-school time from Angel Toscano, their Teach Healthier After School manager, who has worked for them for eight years and oversees the implementation of Teach Healthier After School at nearly 30 Title I Austin area schools.

Tips and Ideas

Alliance for a Healthier Generation looks ahead to "Building Community through Summer Meals and Enrichment."
Experts from HOST members Afterschool Alliance and Alliance for Healthier Generation were among those on a panel to discuss "Healthy Behaviors: Connecting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Partnerships for OST," at the Maryland Out of School Time Network's seventh annual statewide conference.

Research

A new national survey of registered voters by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health has found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans support increasing investments to improve the health of communities. Additionally, 74 percent highly support providing enough time—during the school day and afterschool—for kids’ physical education, physical activity or community sports, and 65 percent highly support providing kids with more information on making healthy food choices and being physically active.