HOST Members Among Most Influential in Health & Wellness
Several HOST members have been named among the most influential individuals and organizations in health and wellness by the National AfterSchool Association (NAA).
The NAA's inaugural list of the Most Influential in Health and Wellness honors individuals and organizations distinguished for their strong advocacy for and support of health and wellness in afterschool programs. Their service, action and leadership align with and support NAA Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards and affect large numbers of youth, families or afterschool professionals. The list, sponsored by The Walking Classroom, includes the following HOST member organizations and staff:
- Afterschool Alliance
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation
- The Center for Collaborative Solutions and its Chief Operating Officer Bruno Marchesi
- Food Research and Action Center
- National Institute on Out-of-School Time
- National Recreation and Park Association
- Jean Wiecha, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Food, Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Program, RTI International
- YMCA of the USA
"The National AfterSchool Association believes that out-of-school time hours offer a great opportunity to impact the health of today's youth and their families," said Gina Warner, President and CEO of NAA. "Promoting healthy eating and physical activity can lead to lifelong physical and mental health and prevent disease."
An estimated 10.2 million children participate in afterschool programs each year and the industry employs an estimated 850,000. The National AfterSchool Association is the membership association for professionals who work with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of extended learning opportunities and care during out-of-school hours.
Read more about all of the honorees here and in the Spring 2017 issue of NAA's AfterSchool Today magazine.
