About ReCharge!

ReCharge! Energizing After-School is an after-school program designed to help students in grades 2 to 6 learn about and practice good nutrition and physical activity habits through fun, team-based strategies. It focuses on four core concepts:

1.“Energy In” (nutrition)
2.“Energy Out” (physical activity)
3. Teamwork
4. Goal-setting

ReCharge! is brought to after-school programs, classrooms and summer/day camps across the country by Action for Healthy Kids and the National Football League, two organizations that are committed to developing the long-term health and wellness of our nation’s children. ReCharge! addresses national education standards and is designed to be practical, feasible and adaptable to a variety of settings and program types. 

Explore the following links to get introduced to the ReCharge! program and its many components!

 

What is ReCharge!

A two-page background sheet with basic information about the program to share with others. 

Download the PDF file (1.3 MB)

 

Guide to ReCharge! components

A detailed listing and samples of materials in the ReCharge! kit. 

Click here for more information. 

 

ReCharge! addresses national education standards

Find out how ReCharge! helps schools meet national education standards.

Click here for more information.   

 

The power of ReCharge!

With its focus on fun, team-based after-school activities, family outreach and healthy after-school snacks, ReCharge! provides benefits that can reach throughout and beyond the school community.  ReCharge! was developed over a two-year period and included pilot testing and input from after-school programs throughout the country, as well as review by over 20 national organizations whose members are experts in after-school, nutrition, physical activity, children’s health and school wellness programs.

ReCharge! powers students

Overweight and obesity in children and related health programs have been dramatically on the rise. Yet many children are often undernourished. Consider this:

• The prevalence of obesity among children ages 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 26 years, from 6.5% in 1980, to 17% in 2006.
• The rate of obesity among adolescents ages 12 to 19 more than tripled in that same time period, increasing from 5% to 17.6%.
• Fewer than 25% of children get 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day.

This epidemic is compromising the long-term health and academic achievement of many students. ReCharge! can help reverse this trend by educating students (and staff) about how to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices. ReCharge! is designed to enhance students’ health, both when they participate in ReCharge! and as they integrate the program’s core concepts into their daily lives.

ReCharge! powers schools

To underscore the important role that schools play in curbing the epidemic of childhood obesity and to ensure a school environment of healthy lifestyle choices, the federal government has passed a law requiring local education agencies that participate in the Federal School Meal Program to create a local school wellness policy. The policy must include goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness.  As an integral part of the school, your after-school program can lead the way in improving school wellness. The core concepts students learn and practice in ReCharge! make it a valuable resource to address and improve your school’s wellness policy and practices. For more information about school wellness, go to www.ActionForHealthyKids.org. 

ReCharge! powers instructors

To reinforce the education standards that teachers and staff throughout the school building must meet, ReCharge! has been written to align with national education standards:

• National Health Education Standards developed by a joint committee on National Health Education Standards
• Guidelines for Physical Activity for Children 5-12 developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
• National Parent Involvement Standards developed by the National PTA
• Best Practice Criteria for School-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs developed by Action for Healthy Kids
• 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

ReCharge! builds a bridge from school to home

One of the core concepts in ReCharge! is teamwork, and we know the most important team for children is the one starting at home. On their “home field,” students begin to learn about cooperation, respect, communication and support. Studies have documented that regardless of the economic, ethnic or cultural background of the family, parent involvement in a child’s education is a major factor in determining success in school. Parent involvement also contributes to other positive outcomes, such as better school attendance, improved homework completion rates, decreased violence and substance abuse and higher graduation rates.

The Home Field Advantage resources in this program help engage families in your after-school program and the core ReCharge! concepts children are learning. These resources also help motivate families to improve healthy eating practices and increase physical activity at home.

ReCharge! is fun

ReCharge! is designed with a fun, up-out-of-your-seat approach to learning. Kids literally “live, eat and breathe” the concepts as they develop and practice healthy habits that will extend through adulthood. Kids stay excited throughout the program and are motivated by working together to reach their goals.