February 16, 2006 -- Foundations, Heart Association Offer Schools Help with Overweight, Obesity

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a collaboration between the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, announced this week that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is providing an $8 million grant to support a new program aimed at helping schools address student overweight and obesity. The Healthy Schools Program will initially make grants to approximately 300 schools in 12 states, with emphasis on schools with limited resources that serve children of disadvantaged economic status. The program will help the schools develop wellness plans; will help them work with stakeholders such as school boards, teacher unions, and PTAs to implement the programs; and will provide curriculum materials on good nutrition and physical activity. Goals of the Healthy Schools Program will include improving the nutritional value of food served in and out of cafeterias, increasing physical activity during the school day and after school, implementing classroom lessons on healthy lifestyles, and developing staff wellness programs. Announcing the new program, former President Bill Clinton said, “Every school day, 54 million young people attend nearly 123,000 schools across the country. Influencing and enhancing the ability of schools to provide environments could be one of the most effective ways to shape the health, education, and well-being of our next generation.” Applications for the Healthy Schools Program will be available beginning July 1, 2006, at http://www.healthiergeneration.org. Additional information is available at http://www.rwjf.org.