Expanding their knowledge to combat childhood obesity

The objective of the meeting was to cultivate and maximize learning opportunities for all participants throughout the meeting. To the extent possible, each learning activity and session was designed to address common issues relevant to childhood obesity, vulnerable populations/ communities, urban and rural perspectives and community engagement, public health policy, as well as “how to’s” of featured strategies.

“The 2012 Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grantee meeting was an incredible opportunity to share the work our partners in the Chamizal have accomplished and to learn from the experiences of other communities. All of the grantees, project partners, project officers and evaluation officers are constant invaluable sources of knowledge and support; it is truly a special experience to be able to connect personally with them each year,” said Xochitl Gamboa, El Chamizal HKHC Project Manager.

Over the three day period, participants engaged in networking, physical activity, outside learning activities such as bike tours and site visits to redeveloping areas of Raleigh /Durham and Chapel Hill in addition to concurrent learning sessions. It was noted that 200 grantees, project partners, Active Living By Design and invited guests attended this year’s event.

ABOUT HKHC

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), advances community-based solutions that will help reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. It focuses on changing policies and environments to support active living and healthy eating among children and families. The program places special emphasis on reaching children who are at highest risk for obesity on the basis of income, race/ethnicity and geographic location. It will support RWJF’s efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States by 2015.