The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, was formed in 2005 as a response to the dramatic increase in prevalence of childhood obesity across the nation. Currently, as many as 1 in 3 students in most states meet the criteria for overweight or obese. 

As a key partner in New Jersey’s state network project, the Alliance shares the Safe Routes Partnership’s goals and believes that helping schools is one of the most efficient and effective ways to shape the lifelong health and well-being of children and adolescents. That is why the Alliance has created the Healthy Schools Program, which aims to improve schools in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and staff wellness.

Five New Jersey Districts Join Healthy Schools Program!

In New Jersey, the Healthy Schools program provides support to more than 250 schools in 19 school districts. The program has expanded to the following school districts for the 2012-13 school year:

• Irvington
• Bloomfield
• Atlantic City
• Passaic
• Jersey City

Many of these districts are making great strides in promoting healthy eating and physical activity and we are delighted to be part of their extended community of supporters.

For more information, contact:
Davida Gurstelle, NJ Relationship Manager, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
davida.gurstelle@healthiergeneration.org

New Jersey State Network and the Alliance: Perfect Together

The New Jersey network has a partner base of 50 diverse organizations who, together, are helping to advance the three policy priorities of the network project which include:   

• Leveraging funding for bicycle and pedestrian construction projects
• Facilitating street-scale improvements through Complete Streets policies
• Advancing joint/shared-use agreements between school districts and municipalities

As a result of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, more than 75 percent of participating schools nation-wide have joint/shared use agreements and leave their facilities open for use after school and on weekends. We are working together to ensure a similar level of agreement is reached in New Jersey.

Upcoming Events

The Communities and Schools in Motion Conference will be held on October 25, 2012. The Safe Routes Partnership and The Alliance for a Healthier Generation are collaborating with New Jersey state agencies and organizations for this event. The goal of the conference is to help create change in schools and communities by promoting physical activity and implementing policies.  Sessions include:

• Keynote: Creating More Livable, Walkable Communities, Mark Fenton
• Outdoors in the Garden State
• Joint Use Agreements: Creating Opportunities for Physical Activity*
• Creating a Healthy School Environment through Partnerships
• Let’s Move in School

*I will be presenting on the Joint Use session panel focusing on providing access to recreational facilities as a critical strategy for giving people of all ages opportunities to participate in physical activity. 

For more information, or to join the New Jersey network, please contact me.

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