Causes: Children & Youth, Education, Health, Primary & Elementary Schools
Mission: The mission of HealthMPowers is to promote healthy behaviors and environments by empowering students, staff and families to improve health and academic achievement .
Geographic areas served: Entire state of Georgia
Programs: A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, healthmpowers was founded in 1999 to address growing concern over the health of our youth. With a mission to "promote healthy behaviors and environments by empowering students, school staff and families to improve health and academic achievement, " the organization has established a 13-year track record of improving student health knowledge, behavior, physical activity, bmi and school policies--all without taking away valuable class time. Healthmpowers is nationally recognized as an evidence-based program by usda's snap-ed, using the guidelines established by the center for disease control and prevention (cdc) as the foundation of our multi-year program. In addition to the multi-year program, healthmpowers launched a childcare program in 2014, and is the training partner for the georgia department of education, georgia department of public health, and georgia shape. The organization continues to work collaboratively with other national and state organizations including centers for disease control and prevention, shape america, alliance for a healthier generation, presidential youth fitness program, action for healthy kids, georgia shape, and children's healthcare of atlanta. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, healthmpowers served a total of 442 schools, 3,099 teachers, and 265,806 students through the multi-year elementary school program, the child care pilot program, "power up for 30" trainings in partnership with the georgia departments of education and public health, and georgia shape grantee trainings. Independently audited financial information from the fiscal year showed that 93% of expenses were directly related to program services. The multi-year healthmpowers program is a school-wide intervention that includes trainings, direct services and resource materials to empower schools with the tools they need to sustain positive health and environmental outcomes on their own upon completion of the program. The program is structured to provide maximum resources and benefits to underserved populations. In the 2014-15 school year, the multi-year program served 45,161 students and 2,196 staff in 80 snap-ed sponsored schools. The average free and reduced lunch rate was 84%, indicating that a large portion of the population is underserved. The value and impact of this work extends beyond the services healthmpowers provides. During 2015-15, healthmpowers' team members provided approximately 2,762 hours of direct nutrition and physical activity, while approximately 45,753 additional hours of nutrition and physical activity instruction were provided by respective participating school staff using the resources, lessons and training provided by healthmpowers. Results from both the additional instruction and increased physical activity include an 87% improvement in student nutrition and physical activity behaviors; a 69% improvement in student's pacer fitness test which measures aerobic fitness; and a 78% of students maintaining or improving bmi percentiles. The childcare pilot served 6 centers, 48 teachers, 441 students, and 55 family members. Each pilot center completed the growing fit: nutrition and physical activity assessment at the start of the year and at the end of the year to examine center policies and practices. By the end of the first year, all childcare centers improved, on average, eight different polices or practices. In less than one year, most centers were able to improve their programs in nutrition education, caregiver and family nutrition training, and the eating environment. Due to these positive results, the program will continue and expand in 2015-16 school year. Since 2013, healthmpowers has served as the training partner for power up for 30, reaching over 500 schools. Power up for 30 is a statewide initiative supported by the georgia departments of public health and education to increase physical activity during the school day in georgia. Elementary schools are provided a one-day, eight-hour professional development workshop, technical support, physical activity resources and recognition opportunities. Outcomes demonstrated that schools participating in the power up for 30 initiative made statistically significant improvements in providing students with more pa time, resulting in improved cardiovascular health outcomes. Compared with schools that did not participate in the initiative, power up for 30 schools saw increases in before and after-school student physical activity programs, days of recess, classroom physical activity time, and more students achieving the "healthy fitness zone" for aerobic capacity.
Mission: The mission of HealthMPowers is to promote healthy behaviors and environments by empowering students, staff and families to improve health and academic achievement .
Geographic areas served: Entire state of Georgia
Programs: A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, healthmpowers was founded in 1999 to address growing concern over the health of our youth. With a mission to "promote healthy behaviors and environments by empowering students, school staff and families to improve health and academic achievement, " the organization has established a 13-year track record of improving student health knowledge, behavior, physical activity, bmi and school policies--all without taking away valuable class time. Healthmpowers is nationally recognized as an evidence-based program by usda's snap-ed, using the guidelines established by the center for disease control and prevention (cdc) as the foundation of our multi-year program. In addition to the multi-year program, healthmpowers launched a childcare program in 2014, and is the training partner for the georgia department of education, georgia department of public health, and georgia shape. The organization continues to work collaboratively with other national and state organizations including centers for disease control and prevention, shape america, alliance for a healthier generation, presidential youth fitness program, action for healthy kids, georgia shape, and children's healthcare of atlanta. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, healthmpowers served a total of 442 schools, 3,099 teachers, and 265,806 students through the multi-year elementary school program, the child care pilot program, "power up for 30" trainings in partnership with the georgia departments of education and public health, and georgia shape grantee trainings. Independently audited financial information from the fiscal year showed that 93% of expenses were directly related to program services. The multi-year healthmpowers program is a school-wide intervention that includes trainings, direct services and resource materials to empower schools with the tools they need to sustain positive health and environmental outcomes on their own upon completion of the program. The program is structured to provide maximum resources and benefits to underserved populations. In the 2014-15 school year, the multi-year program served 45,161 students and 2,196 staff in 80 snap-ed sponsored schools. The average free and reduced lunch rate was 84%, indicating that a large portion of the population is underserved. The value and impact of this work extends beyond the services healthmpowers provides. During 2015-15, healthmpowers' team members provided approximately 2,762 hours of direct nutrition and physical activity, while approximately 45,753 additional hours of nutrition and physical activity instruction were provided by respective participating school staff using the resources, lessons and training provided by healthmpowers. Results from both the additional instruction and increased physical activity include an 87% improvement in student nutrition and physical activity behaviors; a 69% improvement in student's pacer fitness test which measures aerobic fitness; and a 78% of students maintaining or improving bmi percentiles. The childcare pilot served 6 centers, 48 teachers, 441 students, and 55 family members. Each pilot center completed the growing fit: nutrition and physical activity assessment at the start of the year and at the end of the year to examine center policies and practices. By the end of the first year, all childcare centers improved, on average, eight different polices or practices. In less than one year, most centers were able to improve their programs in nutrition education, caregiver and family nutrition training, and the eating environment. Due to these positive results, the program will continue and expand in 2015-16 school year. Since 2013, healthmpowers has served as the training partner for power up for 30, reaching over 500 schools. Power up for 30 is a statewide initiative supported by the georgia departments of public health and education to increase physical activity during the school day in georgia. Elementary schools are provided a one-day, eight-hour professional development workshop, technical support, physical activity resources and recognition opportunities. Outcomes demonstrated that schools participating in the power up for 30 initiative made statistically significant improvements in providing students with more pa time, resulting in improved cardiovascular health outcomes. Compared with schools that did not participate in the initiative, power up for 30 schools saw increases in before and after-school student physical activity programs, days of recess, classroom physical activity time, and more students achieving the "healthy fitness zone" for aerobic capacity.
info@healthmpowers.org
3200 Point Parkway Suite 400, Norcross, GA 30092
770-817-1733
Children & Youth
Norcross
