Alliance

   

January 2011

Fact Sheet: Alliance for a Healthier Generation Alliance for a Healthier Generation The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a joint venture between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. Its mission is to reduce the nationwide prevalence of childhood obesity by 2015 and to empower kids nationwide to make healthy lifestyle choices. The Alliance was founded in 2005 and currently works with more than 9,000 schools in all 50 states, impacting more than 5.2 million students. The Alliance works to positively affect the places that can make a difference in a child’s health: homes, schools, doctors’ offices and communities. Its programs include a Healthy Schools Program, Industry Initiative, Kids’ Movement and Healthcare Initiative. The Healthy Schools Program supports schools across the country in their efforts to establish programs and policies that provide students and staff access to healthier foods and more physical activity before, during and after school. Schools that succeed in transforming their schools into healthier places are nationally recognized. The program model guides schools and districts through a Best Practices Framework, which outlines evidence-based policies and programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity in the school setting in eight key areas: 1. School Policy/Systems 2. School Meals Programs 3. Competitive Foods & Beverages 4. Physical Activity 5. Health Education 6. Physical Education 7. Before/After-School Programs 8. School Employee Wellness Schools participating in the program also receive training in a continuous improvement process, “The Six Steps to a Healthier School,” to implement and sustain health-promoting policy and program changes. The six steps include: 1. Forming of a School Wellness Council 2. Completion of the Healthy Schools Inventory 3. Development of a plan of action 4. Resource brokering 5. Implementation of the action plan 6. Measurement and celebration of successes

  Participating schools can earn awards from the Alliance at the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels. To earn a Bronze Award, schools must meet at least six of 12 criteria for the School Meals Programs segment. Two examples of these requirements: half of all grains served daily at breakfast and lunch are whole grains; and one low-fat entrée is offered at lunch, with less than 35 percent of total calories from fat, less than 9 percent of calories from saturated fat, less than 1 percent of calories from trans fat and less than 480 milligrams of sodium.

For more information and to view the criteria for achieving Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels, visit www.HealthierGeneration.org Source: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation