Out-of-school time providers have the unique opportunity to create environments where healthy eating and physical activity are encouraged. It doesn’t matter if you’re a before school program, an afterschool program, a summer program, a scouting organization, or a sports team, you play a meaningful role in empowering youth to eat better and move more. As you think about your goals for 2014, below are resources and tools you can try throughout the year to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

In the United States today, more than a third of kids are overweight or obese. On any given day, up to 20% of American children do not consume any fruits, and up to 30% do not consume any vegetables. Two in three do not get enough daily physical activity. At the same time, nearly 15 million school-aged kids are on their own after school. Fortunately, it has been recently announced that two of the nation’s largest providers of low-cost or free out-of-school time activities have committed to create healthier environments for five million kids in their programs.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has recently announced the availability of grant funds to support children’s health through park and recreation out-of-school time programs. Grants are for a one-year period and are expected to range from $25,000 to $35,000 with additional nutrition literacy materials provided - valued at $10,000.