2009 General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids Grant Recipients
(listed by program name & organization & city):

ARIZONA

Caring for Kids: Food and Fun!

The Cochise County Health Department will work with Head Start and childcare providers in the county to increase physical activity and improve the nutritional quality of food served to children ages 2-5. The program will increase children’s physical activity to at least 30 minutes of active play each day. In addition, children’s menus will be modified with at least two healthy changes. Information on the healthy menu changes and physical activity program will be communicated to parents monthly.

Together Raising Active Children(TRAC)

Together Raising Active Children (TRAC) will add a physical and nutritional program to current Head Start curricula. The goal is to help prevent chronic disease and reverse the negative consequences of obesity in children enrolled in Head Start. Classroom-based nutrition education activities will be used to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in preschoolers. Physical activity and education will be implemented within existing Head Start curricula to develop basic movement and manipulative skills. Parents will be provided training and strategies to increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables at home, as well as ways to keep their children physically active.

Kids Sports Stars (KSS)

The mission of Kids Sports Stars is to motivate and educate disadvantaged kids to adopt and maintain active,healthy lifestyles. The program combines nutritional education with low-cost exercise -- e.g., walking (Grand Canyon Trekkers program) or running (Kids Rock). KSS will partner with schools and healthcare institutions to provide students and parents with nutritional education. The curriculum includes information on the food pyramid, fruits and vegetables, healthy snacks, fast foods, portion sizes,healthy beverages and food labels.

PE Partners Tech Tweens/Teens

PE Partners Tech Tweens/Teens will provide health-promoting activities in local schools using innovative technology and consistent instruction on healthy eating habits. Wellness programming will be integrated into middle schools, high schools and the community with a goal of increasing physical activity and improving nutritional behavior. Pedometers, web/podcasting and video “exer-games” will serve as new ways to reverse the high prevalence of obesity in Hispanic youth in the community. The program hopes to provide opportunities for middle school and high school students to be role models and deliver health enhancing programs to elementary school students.

CALIFORNIA

Fifth Grade Fitness Fun

Elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District lack formal physical education classes, which officials say has resulted in a large number of students who’ve failed the California Fitnessgram test. Fifth Grade Fitness Fun (FGFF) provides teachers and students with an innovative in-school fitness and nutrition program using theater, fruit and vegetable tastings, activity breaks and incentives. FGFF targets fifth-grade public school students who are required to take the Fitnessgram test. The program will train teachers to incorporate physical activity and nutrition into their school day, with the goal of increasing student and parent knowledge about nutrition and fitness.

Asian Pacific Self-Development and Residential Association (APSARA) Healthy Kids

Approximately 90-percent of the households in Park Village Apartments, a housing and community center for more than 200 Cambodian families, have at least one adult suffering from type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and other cardiovascular related conditions. The Asian Pacific Self-Development and Residential Association (APSARA) proactively addresses this issue by developing programming for young people that integrates nutrition education into existing after-school tutoring programs and by increasing students’ participation in physical activity. For example, students will participate in traditional Cambodian dance to increase their physical activity, with the added benefit of preserving their Cambodian culture.

Movetrition

Movetrition is a simple and fun nutrition curriculum taught through the California physical education department Generations Community Wellness Centers, Inc. will teach over 100 high school students to be 'health advocates' to more than 1,500 elementary school students, special needs children and older adults. Movetrition offers an innovative, intergenerational solution to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles by increasing nutritional knowledge and physical activity levels in participants.

CONNECTICUT

Fit Kid Olympics- Norwalk Health Department

In Norwalk, 41-percent of sixth-graders and 30-percent of kindergarteners are either overweight or obese – many from low-income, single-parent and/or minority families. Fit Kid Olympics will promote healthy lifestyles by increasing children's access to lessons in physical activity and nutritional skills using the CATCH Kids curriculum. The goal of the program is to increase the number of minutes children participate in physical activity and increase the number of exercises they can identify. Fit Kid Olympics also plans on boosting the amount of nutrition education children receive by 10 minutes a day, with the goal of increasing the number of fruits and vegetables children can identify.

FLORIDA

Education Foundation of Martin County (EFMC) – 30-Minute Club

The 30 Minute Club is designed to increase students' levels of physical activity and their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Students in grades 1-5 are provided nutritional education along with 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Families are provided with nutrition information through newsletters and a family night. Daily nutrition education and daily nutrition tidbits of information are provided along with nutrition books.

GEORGIA

Winterville Healthy Kids Club

A survey of Winterville Elementary School students indicates that most make poor diet choices and are physically inactive. The Healthy Kids Club (HKC) will give 420 students in grades K-5 age-appropriate instruction to gain knowledge, skills, and the motivation to develop a healthy lifestyle. The program will incorporate nutrition education classes and motivating physical education classes along with recess, and after-school activities. Participants will keep food journals four days a week based on healthy diet recommendations from the USDA’s My Pyramid. The journals will document students’ choice of healthy snacks such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

INDIANA

Active Rockets Choosing Health (ARCH)

Active Rockets Choosing Health (ARCH) is a program designed to increase physical activity and improve overall nutrition habits for blind and visually impaired students. Under the program, students will do at least 60 minutes of physical activity for five days a week. Live presentations will be offered with nutritional topics to educate and motivate kids to choose healthy foods and beverages. Fitness mentors will partner with students who are at risk for being overweight or who are struggling to improve their fitness goals.

Choose Health in Life (CHIL)

The goal of the Choose Health in Life (CHIL) program is to increase physical activity and improve nutritional habits of deaf students at the school. The program will acquire Body Mass Index (BMI) data from students to assess the school’s general health. It will also offer live presentations on nutritional topics to educate and motivate students to choose healthy foods and beverages. Students will engage in physical activity for at least an hour, five days a week. Students at risk for being overweight or struggling to improve their fitness goals will be partnered with mentors to help them succeed in becoming healthy.

IOWA

Des Moines Independent Community School District

The Des Moines, Iowa Independent Community School District will develop a nutrition and physical education program in elementary schools to improve students’ knowledge, attitude and preference for healthy food and snacks, as well as incorporate 30 minutes of physical activity into their daily routine. Parents will also receive education and resources to encourage healthy behaviors at home.

KENTUCKY

Wilkey Champs

Kentucky is currently ranked third in the nation for the percentage of obese children ages 10-17 (20.6-percent of Kentucky children are considered obese). The Wilkey Champs program will encourage students to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of health problems. Research shows that students who participate in gardening and food preparation activities are more likely to try new vegetables. Students in the program will be encouraged to eat three servings of dairy a day and at least five servings of vegetables per day. Families will also receive training to encourage healthy lifestyles at home. In addition to healthy eating,Wilkey Champs plans to decrease the Body Mass Index (BMI) among youth by introducing game bikes and encouraging other forms of physical activity during and after school.

LOUISIANA

Into the Swamp: Healthy Choices Win

Set in Louisiana, the “Into the Swamp” ballet performance uses fairytale characters to promote nutrition and physical activity among third graders. Hands-on nutrition and dance workshops will be implemented along with family nights. The program is an extension of a successful 2008 season in which 18 school performances of the show reached 5,000 children. The program hopes to increase the number of third graders who report a desire to participate regularly in dance activities. Upon the conclusion of the workshops,20-percent of third graders will perform a dance with professional dancers during the school-wide performance, and 50-percent will perform a dance during the family night workshop. The program will also focus on nutrition, teaching students about the USDA’s MyPyramid,portion control and healthy snack choices.

MAINE

LEAP! Learn Early and Practice: Changing Policies, Environments and Role Modeling in Childcare Settings to Support Healthy Kids

The LEAP! Program (Learn Early and Practice) focuses on creating a positive environment for children in child care by providing them with role models who understand the importance of physical activity and nutrition. Lessons learned from the recent “Starting Young in Maine” project with Head Start will be expanded to other child care providers. This will include pre- and post-surveying to improve physical activity and nutrition among the children. The goal is to increase knowledge among staff, children and families to help decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity in the community.

MASSACHUSETTS

Wellness in Childcare
Boston Public Health Commission
Boston, MA

The Boston Public Health Commission is expanding the Wellness in Childcare program by focusing on Spanish-speaking family childcare providers who serve low-income Latino children. By adding Spanish-speaking staff, the program will train 100 childcare providers in healthy eating and physical activity programming for young children. Providers will develop and implement an action plan for healthier policies and practices. Wellness in Childcare plans to have more than 250 children participating in 30 minutes of physical activity daily. In addition, the program hopes to increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains children eat as well as encourage that low fat milk and water be served throughout childcare programs.

MICHIGAN

Leading the Climb to Health Habits

Leading the Climb to Health Habits will instill in high-school students the importance of establishing healthy habits throughout their life and sharing their knowledge with other students. The program will help teens understand the importance of eating healthy (buying and preparing foods) and staying fit by utilizing a climbing wall, aerobics, zumba, and weight training. It will also teach students to work together as a team and learn valuable communication skills by teaching elementary school students. The program is open to all 9-12 grade students and will include an after-school program for teen mothers.

Let’s Go, Get Active!

The Let’s Go, Get Active! program is designed to encourage young children to develop a healthy lifestyle by enjoying daily physical activities early in life to help prevent childhood obesity. The program’s goal is to increase the amount of physical activity among young children in home-based day care centers. The program will recruit and train 150 child care providers to incorporate daily physical and nutritional activities into their day care programming over a 12-week period, which will in turn, train 300 preschool children on good nutrition and physical activities. As an incentive, the top three providers with the most physical activity hours will be rewarded with a party for children at their day care center.

MINNESOTA

WISE Charter School Wellness Council Initiative

The Wellness Council Initiative of the Carter G. Woodson Institute for Student Excellence (WISE) Charter School will focus on improving nutrition and physical activity among students. In 2007, nearly half of all WISE students were either overweight or obese. By incorporating healthier options into the curriculum, the program hopes to creatively encourage healthy choices among students such as eating more healthy foods at breakfast.Classroom incentives and school-wide celebrations will also be used to help increase the physical activity of students. In addition, a healthy foods and activities book will be provided to parents and staff to increase nutritional knowledge.

Reach-Up, Inc.

Reach-Up, Inc. will establish a school garden to enhance physical movement and nutritional activities among Head Start children, staff and families.The garden will help increase vegetable and fruit consumption as well as improve the Head Start menu to promote healthier food choices for children and staff. The program will also increase moderate and vigorous movement by one hour per day for students and by adding structured activities to the curriculum.

MISSISSIPPI

Project Pride

PROJECT PRIDE (Promoting Responsibility in Daily Health Habits) will encourage elementary students, teachers and parents to be responsible for their health. Students will participate in nutrition education classes that feature food-tasting demonstrations. Parents will participate in the program through community workshops, some of which will be presented by students who are health ambassadors. PROJECT PRIDE will also promote physical activities throughout the school day and beyond through activities such as youth bicycling. The goal of the program is to increase the number of students eating fruit and vegetables as daily snacks and for breakfast and lunch.

MISSOURI

CATCH the NERF (Nutrition and Exercise R Fun)

The Independence Health Department will partner with the Local Investment Commission to provide nutrition education and physical activity to children in before and after-school programs. The CATCH curriculum, which provides equipment and age-appropriate activities for children, will be expanded to additional programs serving low-income communities. The program will increase students’ knowledge of nutrition and healthy food choices as well as increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat. The program will also feature weekly physical fitness activities that focus on strength and flexibility.

NEW MEXICO

Healthy Habits for Life

Healthy Habits for Life is designed to reverse the trend of poor dietary and physical fitness habits among children. The program will empower youth to make healthy choices through nutrition education, fitness challenges and parental involvement. The program will help children increase their awareness of a healthy diet through concepts such as the using the food pyramid, watching out for portion size, calories, fat intake as well as the importance of a varied diet. Children will also increase their understanding of how the body uses and stores food. The program will implement 30-60 minutes of physical activity per day with much of the time spent on planned daily activities linked to a bi-weekly physical fitness challenge. Parents will be engaged in the program through monthly classes on how to prepare healthy, balanced meals on a tight budget.

Taos Pueblo Day School

The Taos Pueblo Day School provides weekly health and nutrition classes with an emphasis on diabetes education for American Indian children. Recent data show that 42-percent of children ages 2-15 at Taos Pueblo are overweight. The program provides kids with weekly cooking classes during summer camp and daily recreational activities using the SPARK after-school curriculum.

NEW YORK

Achilles Kids

The Achilles Kids program provides disabled students with an opportunity to experience a virtual marathon in which the laps that they complete are tracked throughout the year on a customized map. Students earn a free pair of running shoes for completing the virtual marathon - with the goal of encouraging a lifetime of physical activity. In addition, the program holds two weekend workouts a month that include healthy snacks and information on maintaining a balanced diet and positive behaviors.

Concrete Safaris

Concrete Safaris works with 7-12 year-olds from one of East Harlem’s poorest housing projects, providing them with a fun curriculum featuring science-and language arts-based nutrition classes and outdoor fitness. The program includes hands-on projects such as gardening and monthly health-based events at the youth-designed and installed urban farm. The objective is to help students learn about nutrition, increase their physical activity levels and help them understand the links between physical, mental, environmental and community health.

Grow on the Go

The Grow on the Go program serves 451 African-American and Hispanic young people (ages 8-18) in foster care, teaching them how to counteract unhealthy lifestyles.The students will grow fruits and vegetables, design menus, prepare healthy lunches and serve their peers in an outdoor café. They will also participate in fitness activities including Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution.

Kids Grow to Grow! (G2G) An Edible Gardens Program for Sound Shore Schools

Kids Grow to Grow (G2G) is an interactive gardening program that promotes nutrition and physical activity using a non-traditional, comprehensive format.Children in grades K-5 will plant, harvest, cook and eat what they grow while participating in nutritional lessons and physical activity. Children will learn about healthy foods and will have the opportunity to taste new and fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, G2G will serve as a pilot program for other schools in the community to help students establish lifelong healthy habits in a fun, innovative way.

NORTH CAROLINA

Fort Bragg Fit Families Community Program

Fort Bragg Fit Families is an interactive nutrition and exercise program geared towards children and parents. The program includes basic nutrition education,behavior modification instruction and physical activities. The program will incorporate 60 minutes of daily exercise, offer children more fresh fruits and vegetables and help them learn how to read food labels.

Nutrition Division-Robeson Healthy Stars

The Robeson Healthy Stars program will improve the physical activity and nutrition habits of area families through routine physical activities and parent training.The program is designed to slow the growing trend of obesity in the county, especially among preschoolers. Daily organized physical activity routines will be introduced to the children.Parents and staff will learn how to choose healthier foods and control the portion sizes of foods they eat.

NORTH DAKOTA

Munch and Crunch Afterschool Program

The goal of the Munch and Crunch Afterschool Program is to increase awareness of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables among children and families.The program uses gardening, skill-building lessons and preparation activities designed to improve the consumption of fruits, vegetables, calcium-rich foods and whole grains. The program will also use pedometers and the Zumba exercise program to increase physical activity.

OHIO

To the Garden We Grow

To the Garden We Grow supports pre-school children at urban childcare centers. The program will use activities in which children can touch and smell vegetables they’re unfamiliar with. Children will also be introduced to food groups using the USDA’s MyPyramid for Preschoolers as well as recipes featuring targeted vegetables. They will also explore the on-site garden and will participate in group physical activities. In addition, low-income teens will be trained as mentors to support the children.

CATCH Workshop: Ohio Department of Health, Office of Healthy Ohio, Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction

The CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) Workshop will promote nutrition and physical activity by providing training to local school wellness teams.Regional workshops will help nutrition staff learn healthy ways to prepare school meals, promote healthy eating within children’s families and incorporate new curriculum in all PE classes.

Fit Town

Fit Town is a childhood weight management program that provides nutrition education, physical activities and resources to teachers, volunteers and families to encourage and support healthy lifestyles. Fit Town will provide families in the Trumbull Community Action Program with access to resources on weight management. For example, participants will do 60 minutes of daily physical activity and will receive nutrition instruction.

OREGON

CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) YMCA of Columbia-Willamette

The YMCA of Columbia-Willamette serves over 1,400 children daily. The CATCH program (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) will be implemented to improve nutrition awareness and opportunities for physical activity. Children will participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous daily physical activity in after-school programs. Nutrition lessons will be taught, focusing on nutrition knowledge, modeling, skills training, self-monitoring and social skills. Family newsletters will be distributed monthly to students’ homes to help the entire family engage in healthy living.

PENNSYLVANIA

Focus on Fitness

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will implement the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) curriculum in two Empowerment School Districts in Pennsylvania. Empowerment School Districts have a history of low test performance or a history of financial distress. The school staff and the Parent Teacher Organization will promote physical activity and healthy life choices to students and their families. CATCH training will be provided to teachers and staff. Guides will be distributed to children and families to encourage healthy food choices and an increase in physical activity.

YMCA Fit Kids

YMCA Fit Kids will utilize the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) curriculum to increase knowledge of good nutritional habits, increase physical activity and make physical activity a family event. Day camp staff, mentors and volunteers will be trained in the CATCH curriculum to present physical activity and basic nutritional information in a fun manner. Children will participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day and they will increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat by at least two per day.

The Kindergarten Initiative

The Kindergarten Initiative is a well-established, evidence-based nutrition-and-agriculture education program that has served over 7,000 kindergarteners and their families in low-income Philadelphia schools since 2004. To enhance this healthy eating program, daily physical activity will be implemented to address both the fitness and nutrition needs of kindergarteners.The goal is to increase understanding and enjoyment of healthy food, to have children participate in safe and fun physical activities, and to engage parents and other community members in activities that reinforce healthy eating and physical fitness for kindergarten children.

RHODE ISLAND

Children’s Friend and Service

The mission of the Children's Friend and Service program is to promote the well-being and healthy development of Rhode Island's children by providing flexible, effective and culturally-relevant services that support and strengthen families and communities. The program is designed to educate teachers on the value of active play and healthy food choices as part of a child's daily routine. New strategies for engaging children's minds and bodies will be implemented, as well as an increased awareness of healthy nutritional practices.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Youth Diabetes Prevention Program - Wise Crackers

The Wise Crackers program, directed at middle - and high-school students, is designed to provide young people with nutritional information to help them avert risk factors that can lead to Type II Diabetes. The program will identify, recruit and train student health advocates who will serve as health, fitness and nutrition role models, counselors and facilitators in schools.Dancing to the Hits, a healthy dance and fitness marathon, will be conducted monthly at each school to help increase physical activity. The program will also use nutrition presentations along with healthy recipes to increase students’ appreciation of healthy whole grains and vegetables in their daily diets.

TENNESSEE

YMCA: CATCH Kids Clubs

In 2008, 41-percent of Bradley County students were either overweight or at risk for being overweight. Through a partnership with the YMCA, students in after-school and summer recreation programs will be equipped with knowledge and skills to make healthy dietary and physical activity decisions through CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health) Kids Clubs. The program will provide training and engage children in healthy behaviors to combat obesity. Through letters sent to students’ homes, the program also hopes to increase parental awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Fit for Life - JMCSS Intermediate Schools

The Fit for Life program will provide fitness, sports, and nutrition information for students in grades 5-6, in four area schools. The program will provide students information to make healthier lifestyle choices that will last a lifetime. By the end of the program, participating students are expected to increase their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 50-percent compared to current levels. They will also increase their knowledge and understanding of healthy food choices by 50-percent.

JustLead’s Healthy Habits

The goal of the JustLead program is to encourage urban youth to become effective leaders in their communities. The program will offer weekly nutrition and fitness classes. Young people will learn to identify healthy food and beverage choices and will have the opportunity to make and eat nutritious snacks. Justlead will also help them learn the benefits of a fitness-filled lifestyle with opportunities to engage in aerobic, muscle-building and bone-building activities. In addition, weekly mailings will be sent home in the summer to encourage family mealtimes to increase healthy behavior.

TEXAS

Food + Fit = Fun (FFF)

Food + Fit = Fun is a multicultural, bilingual program for preschoolers that teaches healthy food choices and promotes physical fitness. The program features lifestyle education initiatives that students practice at home with their families. For example, participants receive pedometers and learn how to keep track of daily steps. They also receive music that encourages families to dance and notebooks with colorful, bilingual handouts and cooking demonstrations with healthy recipes. The program also features a grocery tour, in which families each receive $15 to purchase food from each of the four food groups. The program concludes with a celebration in which students bring a dish unique to their culture, prepared in a new, healthy way.

TNT! – Turtle Nutrition Takeover!

Turtle Nutrition Takeover! (TNT) will promote nutrition, gardening, and fitness within the community. The program is designed to create lifelong healthy habits in students. Participants will learn to build gardens, cook healthy foods and get fit. Fitness classes will be offered during and after school. A program will also be implemented to teach local children in preschool about good nutrition. Community sports days will recruit local businesses to participate in getting fit as well.

VIRGINIA

Action Based Components for Learning and Good Health (“ABC’s” for Learning and Good Health)

The “ABC’s” for Learning and Good Health provides materials and other educational supplements to help improve the physical activity and nutritional needs of preschool students in Henrico County Public Schools. Students will use GEOMATS (movement based, interactive mats) as a fun way to learn things such as letter and number recognition and nutritional knowledge.

WASHINGTON

Growing Healthy with Gardening

Growing Healthy with Gardening is a new program within an existing school-based community partnership called Eat Better, Feel Better. Educators will expand their existing programming to include vegetable gardening using CHANGE, a garden-based nutrition and physical activity curriculum to teach healthy lifestyle habits to children at risk of obesity in six low-income elementary schools in Seattle. The program is designed to have students increase their knowledge of gardening as a way to reach physical activity goals and increase their preference for fruits and vegetables.

WISCONSIN

Food Service Department- Project Plant: Planting and Learning with Activity, Nutrition and Teamwork

More than 20-percent of children in the Green Bay area are overweight or obese. Officials attribute the childhood obesity rates to decreasing physical activity and diets that are increasingly reliant on processed and pre-packaged foods. The Project PLANT program plans to counteract the childhood obesity rates using an innovative curriculum in which students will have the opportunity to plant, harvest, prepare and eat fresh organic vegetables in a cold weather climate. The goal of the program is to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in students, staff and the community by encouraging them to try new foods they’re unfamiliar with.