At a moment when student well- being is under mounting pressure, we are bridging our efforts – combining our national reach, school-based relationships, and programmatic strengths — to help schools be vibrant hubs of nutrition, movement, mental health, and readiness-to-learn. Our strategic alliance is about a shared vision for the future of school wellness. The case for unified action for youth health and well-being challenges — from food insecurity and sedentary behavior, to growing emotional strain and disruptions in school attendance. Roughly one in five children lives with food insecurity. Fewer than 1 in 4 children meet the recommendation for 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Mental health concerns among children and teens are surging. And chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled since the pandemic. These intersecting issues impact students’ academic performance, physical health, emotional resilience — and ultimately, their future. No single organization, system, sector, or intervention can tackle these challenges alone. Collaboration must replace competition, and aligned systems must transcend isolated programs. When we build bridges across nonprofits, schools, districts, community organizations, and businesses, we unlock scale and durability for the well-being of children. Why now? And why together? Schools are one of the most powerful platforms for improving youth well-being at scale — reaching nearly every child, every day of the school year. But schools alone cannot manage the full scope of what students need. The strategic alliance of Action for Healthy Kids and GENYOUth is purposeful, and in direct service to those schools. Today’s schoolchildren are navigating a complex set of
Together, we are creating the nation’s largest in-school health and wellness alliance, poised to reach over 100,000 schools and impact tens of millions of students every year with scalable, evidence- based solutions to help every child thrive through decades of experience, deep partnerships, and complementary strengths: • GENYOUth’s expertise in providing turnkey solutions proven to increase participation in school meals and physical activity, and elevating youth as champions for health and wellness in their school communities. • Action for Healthy Kids’ record of whole-child wellness programs, parent and educator engagement, and district-level systems change. This affiliation is not simply about “doing more” — it is about working smarter and multiplying our impact! What we expect to achieve — and why it matters Going forward, Action for Healthy Kids and GENYOUth will prioritize several key objectives in school communities. To put youth health and well-being at the heart of education, we are focused on addressing five key initiatives to drive positive health outcomes for students nationwide. • Nutrition access: Ensuring that every student has access to healthy school meals — even
more critical and urgent when federal support becomes uncertain. • Movement and activity: Embedding physical activity throughout the school day — not just in physical education, but via movement breaks, active recess, and integrated opportunities. • Mental health and relationship building: Strengthening positive adult-student relationships, building a culture of belonging, and increasing access to mental- health supports in the school setting. • Systems and policy change: Working with school districts, state agencies, and community partners to build policies and practices that make wellness a
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