Twenty-three Head Start Programs Awarded Grants to Teach Nutrition and Support Physical Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation awarded curriculum grants and training valued at $1,000 each to 23 Head Start programs across the country as part of its Smart from the Start program. Thanks to these grants, 18,000 at-risk children ages 3-5, will learn about the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity at school.

Each winner will receive 25 printed copies of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation's Pre-K curriculum, created by Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, and a set of story books aligned with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).  The Smart from the Start curriculum, was launched in 2013 with a Commitment to Action to the Clinton Global Initiative to improve wellness among pre-K children across the country. This commitment will be renewed at the 2015 CGI Annual Meeting and is expanded to include new partners.

The winners will also participate in training through Penn State's Better Kid Care online training system that will be available in early 2016. Teachers can earn professional development credit upon completion of the training. Penn State will also evaluate the efficacy of Smart from the Start.

"The Smart From the Start Curriculum will provide over 400 Head Start children and their families in Pontiac, Michigan access to fun and low to no-cost activities that will engage the whole family while improving their health.  Families will also use these resources in the home to create easy recipes as a family, learn ideas to reduce calories and fat in recipes, and prepare different fruits and vegetables quickly as well as how to prepare healthy cost-effective weekly meal plans," said Susan Harding, Director of Early Childhood Services at Michigan's Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency.

A complete list of winners can be found here: http://bit.ly/1LIp9DY

"We're very excited to help teach more Head Start and early education students about the importance of eating a well balanced diet and being active," Lisa Gable, President of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation said. "The relationship we've developed with these important early education partners will help teachers best implement this program in their classrooms."

"Head Start students, families and teachers will all benefit from this curriculum grant. We're thrilled to be a part of it," Yasmina Vinci, the Executive Director of the National Head Start Association, said.

About Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), formed in 2009, is a CEO-led organization whose national, multiyear effort is designed to help reduce obesity—especially childhood obesity.  As part of a commitment with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Partnership for a Healthier America, HWCF members - removed 6.4 trillion calories from the marketplace in five years. HWCF is now undertaking an initiative, called - Commitment To Healthy Communities, which will catalog and assess community programs designed to prevent hunger and obesity that are funded by the food and beverage industry.  The foundation is a first-of-its–kind coalition that brings together more than 300 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. HWCF promotes ways to help people achieve active healthy lifestyles and focuses its efforts on two critical areas—families and schools—through its Together Counts™ campaign. To date, HWCF has awarded more than 1.137 million dollars in grants and prizing to at risk schools and its free curricular resources have been used by over 27 million students across the country.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education's services are in half of U.S. classrooms, over 40 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

About National Head Start Association
The National Head Start Association is committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in school and life. While quality early education fundamentally transforms children, Head Start also impacts at-risk families and communities. Head Start's whole child model results in healthier, empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities. As a leader in early childhood development and education, NHSA is the untiring voice that represents and speaks for the more than 1 million children and their families, the more than 200,000 staff and the more than 18,000 Head Start centers in the United States.

About Penn State Better Kid Care
Better Kid Care provides evidence-informed professional development to early care and education and youth development professionals to improve the quality of their care and educational practices. Online training is available for child care professionals with more than 200 relevant topics and is currently accessed by close to 90,000 users from all 50 states and 52 countries. Modules are approved for professional development credit in 38 states, accepted for CDA, and CEUs are available upon request.

SOURCE Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation