School Tools: Evidence-based Programs
Program Description
Toolkit for teaching parents about nutrition and childhood obesity in addition to promoting their involvement in school activities.
What Outcomes Showed
Parents that participated in the Action for Healthy Kids outreach program gained knowledge related to healthy eating and the importance of physical activity.
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
This foundation takes the "energy balance" approach - balancing the foods eaten with the amount of physical activity for each person. Lesson plans for elementary and middle school students. Website for kids where teachers can register their classes and track their daily physical activity by steps or minutes, and enjoy monitoring their progress along interesting online trails.
What Outcomes Showed
Positive results were obtained through changes in diet and physical activity as well as promoting physical activity in students through the use of step counters. When compared to a self-monitored group, the America on the Move group had a significantly higher percentage of children who maintained or reduced their BMI for age and, consistently, a significantly lower percentage who increased their BMI for age. Website capable of being viewed in Spanish.
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
CATCH is a program that brings schools, families and communities together to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in elementary school-aged children. Through a coordinated approach – in the classroom, PE class, the cafeteria and at home, CATCH focuses on teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be FUN!
Lesson plans, workbook, and videos also available.
What Outcomes Showed
Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the CATCH program (including one in a low-income school with primarily a Hispanic population). The CATCH Program has demonstrated that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behavior changes that can last a lifetime. For a complete list click here: http://www.catchinfo.org/Document_Content/PDF/publications.pdf
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
Lessons for elementary school children (4th and 5th grades) with web workshop for teachers to provide them with the necessary training and planning tools to implement the curriculum.
What Outcomes Showed
Studies showed improvement in diet of students (increase in fruit & vegetable intake) along with a decrease in television viewing time. For a complete list of references, click here:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/prc/proj_eat_literature.html
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
Program has 2 free curricula available to teachers: one for 3rd to 8th grade and one for high school age girls with lessons to promote healthy behaviors including nutrition, body image, use of drugs and alcohol, and emotions. Tips for getting girls active and a website specifically for girls also available as links on the website.
What Outcomes Showed
An analysis of the Go Girl Go! Survey revealed significant positive changes in attitudes among participating girls were found including feeling guilt over eating, control over depression, eating “junk” foods, and attitude towards cigarettes, general health, drug usage, and overall confidence. Materials available in Spanish.
Focus Areas
Numerous
Program Description
Good Resources for Children: Kids can “pledge” to make lifestyle changes with the “Go Healthy Challenge” through the link on the website (http://www.igohugo.org/)
Evidence Based: Success stories of schools that followed the Healthy Schools Program Framework using the “Healthy Schools Builder” kit
The framework helps schools identify actions they can take related to the following areas:
•Systems and Policy
•School Meals
•Competitive Foods & Beverages
•Health Education
•Physical Education
•Physical Activity
•Before & Afterschool Programs
•School Employee Wellness
What Outcomes Showed
One example is of a school that has implemented programs such as:
•Making changes to the breakfast program
•The “Trouble Free Playground” program
•“Challenge Hike” to encourage physically active lifestyles for a lifetime
After 5 years of implementing various healthy schools initiatives, one school has seen students’ reading and math scores improve, far surpassing the average scores for schools with similar demographics.
Click here for links to Success Stories: http://www.healthiergeneration.org/uploadedFiles/For_Schools/Success_Stories/Success_Stories_Issue_14_Apr%2030%202008.pdf
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
KidShape Foundation is a weight management program for children and their families with 2 curriculums:
- one for 3-5 year olds
- one for 6-14 year olds
The following four positions are necessary to carry out the KidShape® Program for 6-14 year olds:
-Registered Dietitian
-Mental Health Professional
-Physical Activity Instructor
-Site Coordinator
What Outcomes Showed
87% of families who participate in the KidShape® Program lose weight. Of the children who lose weight, 80% keep it off for at least 2 years following the program.
Focus Areas
Nutrition
Program Description
Program that is available for children grades K-12. School members implementing the program must go to the academy site for a training program where they learn to implement the PE 4 Life philosophy that PE is offered to every child every day, is in the form of a variety of sports and fitness activities, and extends beyond the gym class.
Each program is individualized and tailored to your school and has basic components including:
•Assess students on their personal progress toward fitness and physical activity goals
•Evaluation
•Implementation Coaching
•Follow Up with ongoing support services
What Outcomes Showed
While the national rate of children age 6-11 is 18.8% and age 12-19 is 17.4% (CDC), children enrolled in one PE 4 Life program had only a 3% rate of obesity.
Children in the PE 4 Life program also showed improvements in math and reading scores as they increased their fitness levels, while decreasing disciplinary incidents.
Focus Areas
Physical Activity
Program Description
Interdisciplinary curriculum for teaching middle school students. Focuses on building skills and competencies in various subjects while teaching physical activity and nutrition.
Materials and instructions to implement:
Power Down - a two-week campaign to reduce television and other media viewing time
FitCheck - a self-assessment tool to help students track and improve their activity levels
Lesson plans and free online teacher training presentation.
What Outcomes Showed
Outcomes include preventing obesity in girls, reducing television viewing in girls and boys, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in girls and helping to prevent disordered eating behaviors in girls.
For a complete list of research articles published related to Planet Health click here:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/prc/proj_planet_literature.html
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
Program Description
Project Fit America (PFA) is a national non-profit public charity. It donates to schools, (grades K-12) fully funded cardiovascular health and lifetime fitness education programs.
PFA also offers 2 curriculums. The first is the Broad Based ideal for classroom teachers and non PE teachers. Each teacher will receive a curriculum specific to the grade level students they teach. The second is a Core Curriculum for PE teachers.
What the Outcomes Showed
PFA’s research found that students that participate in the before school Kid Fit Program attend more school regularly, have less body fat and score higher academically at the end of the year assessments. For complete details, click here: http://www.projectfitamerica.org/testing.html
Focus Areas
Physical Activity
Program Description
This is a physical education curriculum and staff development program for students in grades K-6. Students from third grade to sixth grade are engaged in a self-management curriculum that includes in-school and family participation.
A SPARK staff member trains teachers through workshops and follow-up consultations.
What the Outcomes Showed
Improvements in levels of physical performance were observed for SPARK students compared with controls for a period of two years after intervention. (http://www.sparkpe.org/resultsSallis3.pdf) The program also showed student achievement in sports skills, enjoyment of PE and academic achievement.
For a complete list of SPARK related research, click here:
http://www.sparkpe.org/results.jsp
Focus Areas
Physical Activity
Program Description
Fitness File - online tool just for educators that makes administering the Physical Fitness and Health Fitness tests as simple as possible.
Active Lifestyle and Presidential Champions Programs which encourage youth and adults to make staying active part of their everyday lives (website gives tips for activities and help with goal setting).
What the Outcomes Showed
Through participation in schools, clubs, community/recreation groups and on an individual basis, over 70 million youth have received Presidential recognition for their accomplishments in the program's three areas: active lifestyle, physical fitness, and health fitness over the last several decades.
Focus Areas
Physical Activity
Program Description
"Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition" is a national science based program designed for families and communities to help children age 8-13 maintain a healthy weight. The program focuses on three important behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time.
Free teaching tools for teachers including a community toolkit, evidence based curricula, and posters and wristbands. posters, print ads, and wristbands.
Website able to be viewed in Spanish.
Focus Areas
Physical Activity & Nutrition
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