Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities

From introducing healthier foods and more opportunities for physical activity in schools, to improving parks and sidewalks, to building new bike trails — communities made changes that are having a lasting impact. And HSHC provided resources and support to help make it possible.

Missouri Foundation for Health›Our Focus›Legacy Endeavors›Healthy Schools Healthy Communities›Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities

Building a Healthier Future

Click here to see a map of HSHC districts and partner organizations.

Through Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC), we brought together schools, community organizations, businesses, parents, and residents to identify and advocate for changes that increase access to healthy food and physical activity where our kids live, learn, and play.

Schools at The Hub

Launched in 2013, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative worked at the school district level, and school districts in turn reached out to their K-8 schools. Schools conducted wellness assessments and created action plans in order to meet intermediate outcomes and the long-term goal of reducing childhood obesity rates in their districts.

School wellness committee action plans addressed school foods, physical education/activity, health education, school policy, and family engagement. MFH provided a resource guide of approaches and programs to assist in the development of concrete action steps.

Key to these efforts was our support for a school district wellness coordinator, who developed and organized committees and offered expert technical assistance.

In total, 32 two school districts (with a total of nearly 30,000 students) and 13 partner organizations participated in Schools as the Hub. Participating schools receive technical assistance and support from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Healthy Communities

With input from the school districts, HSHC engaged community organizations to form partnerships and develop action plans that address barriers to healthy eating and active living for children in targeted communities. Community representatives worked closely with school district wellness coordinators in order to ensure effort alignment, steady progress, and ongoing communication. Community organizations received technical assistance for planning and implementation from experts at Local Motion (formerly PedNet Coalition).

Early child care centers were critical partners in all of our communities. More than 30 child care centers located in HSHC communities participated in HSHC through technical assistance from Child Care Aware of Missouri, which increased physical activity and nutrition standards at the early child care sites located within HSHC communities. The centers were in proximity to participating schools, with the expectation that many of the children would transition into existing HSHC K-8 schools and would already be accustomed to the nutrition and physical activity approaches that were implemented.

These community efforts had a local and/or organizational policy focus, engaging school administrators as well as local and state legislators in order to enforce policies and regulations that were more likely to facilitate and sustain improved physical activity and healthy eating environments.

Statewide Focus & Collaboration

HSHC sought opportunities to collaborate with other funders, nonprofits, and government entities to promote healthy choices for children and their families. MFH provided support to other statewide organizations including the Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition and the Subcommittee on Childhood Obesity, which was formed to advise the Missouri Children’s Services Commission.

The Foundation is also a founding partner of the Missouri Convergence Partnership, a funders collaborative, committed to improving equitable access to healthy foods and resources for active living across the state.