Partnering with Schools to Improve Community Health
May 1, 2013
Helping our kids get moving on a healthy path can make the difference of a lifetime.
Students who are physically active and eat healthy receive higher grades.1 This makes schools an excellent opportunity and a focal point for communities to come together to encourage positive change. And getting children started on a healthy path now can last a lifetime — studies show that employees with good nutrition habits are 25% more likely to perform better on the job.2 So when children and their families lead healthier lives, it improves the health of your business, too.
As part of our longstanding commitment to support our children and communities, Kaiser Permanente is partnering with leading national organizations to improve the health of students, staff, and teachers in the neighborhoods where you live and work. Because that helps build a better,healthier future for us all.
Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools: Creation a culture of health in K-12 schools
Schools are in a unique position to promote lifelong healthy habits — not just in children, but in staff and teachers as well. Because when teachers and other school employees live healthier lives, they set a great example for their students to follow. That’s why good school health has always been a priority for us.
Why school health is important.
Hussar and Bailey, National Center for Education Statistics, January 2013; Coulson, Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2012.
Source: Sandhoff et al., The Permanente Journal, Summer 2008; CDC, September 2012.
With obesity reaching epidemic levels in America, we’re deepening that commitment by partnering with leading national organizations on Thriving Schools. This comprehensive effort promotes workforce health and student-focused interventions to help create a culture of health in K–12 schools. Thriving Schools aims to make good health a part of everyday life for the 50 million school-age children and more than 6 million teachers and school workers across the country.
Free, ready-to-use resources are available to anyone at kp.org/thrivingschools. Schools can get ideas on how to improve school lunches, promote healthy holiday and birthday celebrations, increase opportunities for physical activity, and more.
Schools are an important environment for supporting the health improvement of our members and communities. With epidemic levels of obesity in America leading to chronic conditions, it is clear that we must act now to improve the environments in which we live, work, learn, and play.
– Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, senior vice president,
Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy
Joining Michelle Obama to launch Let’s Move! Active Schools
On February 28, 2013, Kaiser Permanente helped First Lady Michelle Obama kick off Let’s Move! Active Schools. More than 6,000 children, teachers, and athletes such as Serena Williams participated in the event, which included games and contests during “America’s Largest Recess”.
Let’s Move! Active Schools is an unprecedented collaboration that provides simple steps and tools to encourage at least 60 minutes of physical activity before, during, and after school. Schools can request grants, get technical assistance and training, download tools, and read success stories at letsmoveschools.orgexternal page.
