AFTER-SCHOOL FOOD AND ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT
ENACT STRATEGY: Staff Training
Provide training to staff to lead activity sessions, select healthy foods and model positive eating and activity behaviors
After-school programs offer an ideal setting to instill a lifetime of healthy habits in all children and youth. As the hours spent in school PE classes decline steadily, after-school programs have the opportunity to inspire and motivate their participants to become more physically active. A well trained staff is better equipped to lead fun educational activities that promote a positive relationship with healthy eating and physical activity.
Sports4Kids Playbook (PDF)
Sports4Kids is dedicated to improving the "health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play." This playbook helps educators integrate play into school and after school curriculums, and to use physical activity as a medium to teach important life skills.
Recipes for Success Nutrition and Physical Activity Workshop
“Are you frustrated by the eating and activity patterns of the youth you work with? Do you ever wish you could have a positive influence over their nutrition and exercise behaviors? If so, then this is the workshop for you. This interactive, hands-on workshop is designed for youth providers who work with low-income, multi-ethnic youth ages 10-14.” Interested in scheduling a workshop in your area or at your site? Please email info@canfit.org or call (510) 644-1533.
5 A Day and School Age Children
“Welcome to 5 A Day and School-Age Children: Trends, Effects, Solutions. This kit provides a planned approach to address the issue of fruit and vegetable consumption in schools. It is full of strategies and resources to help you improve your school nutrition environment.”
Physical Activity for Youth Policy Initiative (PDF)
Physical Activity for Youth Policy Initiative, presented by The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, “seeks to provide a means for advocates and policymakers to address the issue of physical inactivity.” The article contains policy options and policies in action in the areas of after school programs, community programs and community design.
PE central provides the latest information about developmentally appropriate physical education programs for children and youth.
BYA is a community based organization with a mission to provide a secure and nurturing environment for all the children, youth, and families of the surrounding community. Visit the web site to learn more about the many ways Berkeley Youth Alternatives has incorporated physical activity and nitration into all of its programming, ranging from their state of the art commercial kitchen that will be used for a culinary arts program and to make healthy snacks for the after school program to the sports and fitness academy and Team Nutrition Program.
SPARK Programs
“While overweight and obesity levels climb, the minutes children spend in physical education (PE) has decreased. SPARK is designed to maximize class activity time, without sacrificing learning. The SPARK team of educators and researchers have spent years creating the tools you need to succeed, and now they are available to you.”
Project LEAN
“Browse through our consumer materials. You'll find brochures, tip sheets, recipes, lesson plans for use with high school students, and formative research on healthy eating and physical activity. You will also find Project LEAN's evaluation reports.”
North Carolina Physical Education is Active
“This web site is dedicated to keeping you informed about physical, education, health education, athletics, and sports medicine in North Carolina and the nation.” This web site also provides lots of helpful information and resources.
California Department of Education
“Resources and information related to child nutrition, nutrition education, food distribution programs, and the Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Advisory Council.”
The Healthy Choices for Kids nutrition education program “was created by the growers of Washington state apples and is funded in part by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, Tree Top, Inc., and other industry sponsors. All materials are copyrighted; however, any educator may freely copy and distribute all content for use in a classroom setting.”