Who We Are - Action for Healthy Kids
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Our vision: We believe healthy children create a better world.

Our mission

Action for Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization mobilizing family-school partnerships to prepare kids to be healthy in body and mind. Our mission is to foster learning environments that support optimal child health and well-being.

Learn about our programming

Healthy kids. Better world.

Every child deserves access to the three foundations of lifelong health in order to create a better future for all.

Healthy food access and nutrition education are crucial for the body and mind.

Physical activity and play build energy and stimulate the imagination.

Social emotional learning strengthens relationships and builds resilience.

Grassroots approach, nationwide footprint

Through in-depth programs, school grants, and hundreds of free online resources, we help schools and families work together to provide healthy food, social emotional learning, and physical activity opportunities to millions of students in some of the most underserved communities across the U.S.

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Arizona

In 2015, the Urban School Wellness Coalition established partnership with Mesa School District to reach 63,042 students across 81 schools.

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Arizona

Since 2016, grants for school breakfast and Game On have supported 9,964 students in grades K-12.

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California

The Urban School Wellness Coalition worked with LA Unified School District to establish a Wellness Programs Department.

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California

Since January 2018, 11 workshops and events have been hosted by AFHK California staff to over 600 attendees on topics including wellness policy implementation and Game On programming.

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Colorado

Colorado’s Wellness Kit Program has helped parents create healthier learning environments in 54 schools in 24 districts.

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Colorado

Since 2013, over 750 parents and family members have participated in AFHK educational events about best practices and policies related to healthy eating, physical activity, and social emotional learning.

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Delaware

Over half of schools in the state are affiliated with AFHK.

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Florida

Since we launched our Parent Ambassador program in the 2018-2019 school year, two Florida parent ambassadors have engaged 123 parents across 42 schools.

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Florida

Fifty school districts are currently recognized with a Florida Healthy School District award.

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Georgia

AFHK has awarded grants to support school breakfast, parent engagement, and Game On to 158 schools since 2015.

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Idaho

86% of AFHK grant-funded schools have a school health team.

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Illinois

Over 98,500 students have been served by Game On grants in Illinois since 2015.

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Illinois

AFHK has six state partners, including the Illinois State Board of Education and Greater Chicago Food Depository.

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Indiana

Ninety-two percent of schools in Indiana are affiliated with AFHK.

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Iowa

Since 2016, 78% of students in schools that received Game On grants have participated in nutrition education in all grade levels.

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Kentucky

Our school grants have impacted 16,753 students across the state.

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Kentucky

The Urban School Wellness Coalition partnered with Jefferson County School district in 2017 to reach 100,000 students.

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Maryland

Eighty-seven schools have participated in Every Kid Healthy Week since 2016.

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Massachusetts

Students in 78% of schools that have received Game On grants are engaged in school gardens.

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Michigan

More than 60% of students in schools that have received Game On grants participate in classroom physical activity breaks.

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Minnesota

19,459 students impacted by AFHK grants in the 18-19 school year.

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Minnesota

AFHK has 12 valuable state-level partnerships, including the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Minnesota PTA, and the Minnesota Dept. of Education.

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Mississippi

Fifteen schools in Vicksburg Warren School District received school breakfast grants that impacted over 8,000 students in the 2017-2018 school year.

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New Jersey

Grant funding from AFHK has impacted 19,276 students since 2015.

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New York

178 active parent volunteers in the AFHK network.

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New York

Since 2015, 33,151 students in AFHK grant-funded schools have participated in nutrition education.

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North Carolina

Nearly 75% of AFHK grant-funded schools engaged students in moderate to vigorous activity during PE in the 2018-2019 school year.

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North Carolina

Schools in Hoke County School District that received breakfast grant funding saw breakfast participation increase to 97% between October 2017 and October 2018.

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Ohio

Parents for Healthy Kids grants helped nine schools implement new nutrition initiatives in the 2018-2019 school year.

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Oklahoma

Fifty health and physical education professionals across 38 schools attended professional development training to improve school health practices.

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Oregon

The Urban School Wellness Coalition partnered with Portland Public School District in 2017 to reach 49,557 students across 78 schools.

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Pennsylvania

Since 2015, 216 schools have received school breakfast, Game On, and Parents for Healthy Kids grants.

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South Carolina

Since 2015 1,762 students have participated in school gardens implemented with help from AFHK grant funding.

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Tennessee

On average, 86% of students in Game On grant-funded schools participate in physical activity during recess.

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Texas

Since launching our Parent Ambassador program in the 2018-2019 school year, Parent Ambassadors have engaged 54 parents across several schools.

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Texas

Five districts reached by the El Paso Project are improving school health policies, including one district that increased recess to 20 minutes daily.

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Utah

64% of active AFHK supporters in Utah are school food service professionals.

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Virginia

An average of 67% of students in Game On grant-funded schools participate in classroom physical activity breaks.

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Washington

Bellingham School District 501 increased average daily breakfast participation by 114% in the 2016-2017 school year.

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West Virginia

Eighty-two percent of schools in the state are affiliated with AFHK.

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Wisconsin

Over 10,000 students have participated in nutrition education in AFHK grant-funded schools since 2015.

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Wisconsin

On average, 80% of students in Game On grant-funded schools participate in physical activity during recess.

Our success model

All kids must develop the lifelong habits necessary to become healthy, thriving adults. In order for this to happen, schools, families and communities must commit to working together to build a culture that supports the Whole Child. Learn more.

Tools
& resources

Programs
& practices

Staff, family, student & community engagement

Every Kid Healthy

* The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model highlights 10 key school health components to ensure students are safe, engaged, supported, challenged and healthy. AFHK’s work directly impacts five WSCC components (Health Education, Physical Education and Physical Activity, Nutrition Environment and Services, Family Engagement, and Community Engagement) and generally supports all components, in a coordinated way that positively impacts student health and academic success.

Our History

2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2008 2009 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 2020
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2001

Dr. David Satcher, founding Board Chair and 16th U.S. Surgeon General, issues a call to action to address the childhood obesity epidemic.

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2002

Nearly 500 experts in children’s health and education convene at the first Healthy Schools Summit to address schools’ role in reducing childhood obesity. First Lady Laura Bush is honorary chair.

AFHK is founded, establishing grassroots networks at state and district levels across the country.

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2004

AFHK releases The Learning Connection: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools, revealing the negative impact of poor nutrition and inactivity on academic achievement and school budgets.

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2005

AFHK hosts second Healthy Schools Summit. More than 600 national policy makers, health experts and other school health advocates discuss how to help under-resourced schools improve students’ nutrition and fitness.

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2006

AFHK hosts the inaugural Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge, a skills course of nutrition and physical fitness activities, in Washington, D.C. First Lady Laura Bush serves as honorary chair.

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2008

More than 2,000 thought leaders participate in AFHK's web forum, “Call to Leadership: Elevating School Wellness to a Higher Priority.”

AFHK launches Parents Advocating for School Wellness, a toolkit for parents to help improve their schools’ wellness practices.

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2009

AFHK begins awarding grants to help schools implement or improve school breakfast, physical activity, and nutrition programs.

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2012

First Team Healthy Kids runners raise money running the Chicago Marathon and other smaller races around the country.

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2013

AFHK launches Every Kid Healthy Week, recognized on the Calendar of National Health Observances and created to celebrate school health and wellness achievements and raise awareness of the link between health and learning.

AFHK forms the Urban School Wellness Coalition to bring urban district leaders together to share ideas for improving student health and wellness.

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2014

The New York City Marathon is added to the Team Healthy Kids roster of premier fundraising races.

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2015

AFHK issues Chicago: Putting Policy Into Practice, a case study on the use of Game On as an effective 3-year model for school-level wellness programming and district-level policy implementation.

Adapting a version of the CDC’s School Health Index, AFHK unveils a new way for schools to evaluate their health environments and identify areas of strength and improvement.

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2016

AFHK expands the Parents for Healthy Kids program nationally, creating online content, workshops, and more to help parents become change makers in school health.

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2018

Active Schools, formerly Let’s Move! Active Schools, finds a new organizational home at AFHK.

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2020

AFHK’s strategic plan for a new decade focuses on supporting the foundations of lifelong health for children and deeper school district-level partnerships in underserved communities.