Youth Service America and UnitedHealth Group are tackling childhood obesity from a new direction: by asking children and youth across America to take action and address this critical issue. The UnitedHealth HEROES Service-Learning Grants, launched two years ago to support youth-led programs, have supported the initiatives of more than 360 schools and community organizations. Asking young people to have a meaningful impact on communities by implementing innovative ideas is an important part of service-learning, a teaching and learning strategy that makes connections between community service and curriculum.

Students at Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington, Delaware, took their knowledge about exercise and healthy eating to 400 elementary school students in their community. Students in the nursing, culinary, and public service programs extended their in-school learning to younger kids, internalizing their learning while serving as mentors to younger students. “Watching our high school students working with the younger elementary students was rewarding and inspirational,” wrote Stan Levine, Howard’s service-learning coordinator. He goes on to state that support from the local community, leveraged because of the HEROES grant, “helped to motivate and drive our students toward their goal of educating younger learners. “

In 2010, almost 35,000 youth participated in UnitedHealth HEROES-funded programs, educating and serving close to 1.4 million members of the community. They created gardens, hosted health fairs, coordinated cooking demonstrations, and planned walk-a-thons to raise awareness about the importance of healthy diet and exercise.

The HEROES grants also engaged educators. Niama Sandy, the Out-of-School Time Coordinator in DC Public Schools worked with students at King Elementary School. She facilitated learning opportunities between students and personal trainers and dietitians and helped the students coordinate a Healthy Body Expo that featured student-led exercise demonstrations, healthy food samples, and participation from community organizations. Sandy was amazed not only at her ability to infuse her creativity in the classroom, but also at how much recognition her program received.

“Our project was highlighted in the Washington Post, and shortly thereafter I received recognition as a ‘Home Town Hero’ from Washington’s WNBA team, the Mystics. I am humbled,” said Sandy. “The outcomes from this project have empowered me to reach even further in my sojourn to engage our students and the larger community in changing attitudes and habits on exercise and nutrition.”

This year, UnitedHealth HEROES grants are open to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Applications should be submitted by 5 pm, October 22, 2010. To learn more about the HEROES grants or to apply, visit www.YSA.org/HEROES. You can also download First Responders: Youth Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Service-Learning, a free educational guide about creating a successful program.

Steve Culbertson is the Youth Service America President and CEO.

Childhood obesity is a growing, yet often overlooked issue within Hispanic households. Families, including my own, often dismiss childhood obesity with terms like “gordito” or “llenito,” to overlook the fact that a child might be overweight.
 

This post is a special guest blog post by a staff member at the Corporation for National and Community Service. While on a family vacaction abroad, Stu and his family took a little time to do a service project involving gleaning. This past May I traveled to Israel for an extended family Bar Mitzvah celebration. June, my wife, and 14 other family members and I participated in a Leket project. Leket is the Hebrew word meaning to glean, a practice documented in scriptures dating back thousands of years. Leket, also known as Table to Table, is Israel’s largest charitable “food rescue” and “food bank” organization.
 

According to a 2009 study, more than 40 million American grow fruit, herbs and vegetables in home gardens – and that number is increasing. These gardeners, given good soil, access to water, lots of sun, and a little bit of luck, typically wait for months for their crops to start bearing fruit. Once they start the harvest, they use, preserve and share the bounty... but the squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables keep on coming, and from personal experience, I can tell you that there are only so many cucumbers you can give to friends if you still want them call you a friend. While some gardeners compost the excess produce, many others simply let it rot in the garden or worse, throw it into the trash.
 

In the past few months, a 50 x 50 ft. organic community garden in Ames, IA called the Service Patch has hosted over 567 volunteers donating nearly 800 volunteer hours and 230 pounds of food to Iowa food pantries and shelters.
 

People across the nation are reading and moving this summer. Following the lead of United We Serve and the First Lady, Americans are dedicating themselves to becoming active and engaged mentally and physically. Some are joining and creating summer learning programs, others are getting involved in summer sports activities, and many are planting and growing gardens.
 

United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. is thrilled to be collaborating with CHEFs for Schools in the effort to combat childhood obesity! Created to address the growing problems of obesity, malnutrition and poverty in New York City, Cheap Healthy Eco-friendly Food (CHEFs) for Schools works to increase awareness of proper nutrition, meal preparation, and environmental consciousness in New York youth.
 

United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. is excited to be working with Family-to-Family in the effort to increase access to healthy and affordable food and promote literacy this summer.
 

This summer, ARAMARK launched a community summer of service initiative focused around family health and wellness. ARAMARK, an international corporation that provides professional services, food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world, has embraced community service and volunteerism as a mean of encouraging healthy lifestyles and build healthy communities.
 

Earlier this week, Philadelphia kicked off their Let's Read. Let's Move. Philadelphia initiative. Leading the way is Chief Service Officer, Catherine Wolfgang - Philly is one of 10 Cities of Service with a Chief Service Officer. The Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies have given grants to ten cities whose mayors have committed to increase the amount and impact of service in their communities.
 

United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move, is happy to be working with Meals on Wheels in an effort to ensure access to healthy and affordable food for all Americans, young and old.
 

Childhood obesity is a serious and growing epidemic. It cuts across all categories of race, ethnicity, family income and locale. For the first time in our history, American children may face a shorter expected lifespan than their parents. That is why the Corporation for National and Community Service has joined forces with the Department of Health and Human Services, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and the First Lady’s Let’s Move. initiative to address this important issue facing America’s future as part of United We Serve’s summer initiative, Let’s Read. Let’s Move.
 

A key component of the United We Serve:Let's Read. Let's Move initiative is using service to increase access to healthy and affordable food for youth. This summer, farmers, gardeners, market managers, and volunteers can expand their impact by connecting with United We Serve and utilizing the Let's Glean! Toolkit.
 

It is always exciting to see what happens when a community comes together to develop solutions to its most pressing issues. Led by Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D., Pastor and CEO of St. Andrew AME Church Enterprise, more than 22 South Memphis organizations, business and religious institutions worked together over 18 months to plan how to revitalize their neighborhood - and today, we see the first fruits of that labor (literally) with the opening of the South Memphis Farmers Market.
 

United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. is thrilled to partner with Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities USA is an organization that provides assistance to more than 8.5 million people annually who are in need - they explore all avenues to secure resources and supports to assist families in meeting their basic needs and moving beyond poverty.
 

Two years ago two residents of Shelton, Washington donated a large parcel of their property to the city. They wanted it to be called Catalyst Park in hopes that it would someday provide a place for the neighborhood to gather, play, and grow together. This year our local Food Bank Garden, which was housed at the County Fair Grounds, was eliminated due to the county’s budget issues. Our Shelton 4-Hers, together with Washington State University Master Gardeners, have partnered with our local Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Optimists, and the Food Bank to re-create the Food Bank Garden into the Catalyst Garden.
 

Hunger doesn’t take a break in the summer. The U. S. Department of Agriculture and Let's Read. Let's Move. will encourage America’s children to plant community gardens through the People’s Garden Initiative, and use volunteers to connect children with healthy foods and meals as part of the Summer Food Service Program. Toolkits provide individuals and organizations guidance on building community gardens and ways to volunteer to deliver meals to youth.
 

Eating Healthy -East Chicago" was developed specifically by Catholic Charities for families in East Chicago, Indiana, with young children who depend on food pantries for a regular portion of their diet. For these families there is often a problem with using food pantry food nutritiously. Some individuals have little knowledge of nutrition; others are unfamiliar with correct food preparation, or they don't have equipment with which to prepare nutritious meals. This program was developed after many clients of the Catholic Charities' Food Pantry in East Chicago expressed an interest in learning the basics of nutrition in order to provide healthy, well-balanced meals for their children.