
Speaking at the Gwen Cherry Club of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, First Lady Michelle Obama announced Boys & Girls Clubs of America will join the Partnership for a Healthier America's five-year initiative to make after-school programs healthier and more active for millions of kids. The First Lady is honorary chair for PHA, which works with the private sector to secure commitments to reduce childhood obesity.
We couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity to expand on our Healthy Lifestyles impact agenda. As the nation’s largest provider of low-cost or free out-of-school time activities, BGCA is committed to helping youth eat healthier, make good choices, and lead healthy lifestyles. With this partnership, we can enable millions of more kids to understand why eating well and being active is so important to their long-term success.
BGCA will encourage Clubs to adopt solid standards for nutrition and physical activity. This includes stressing the importance of providing nutrition education, encouraging kids to be more active, and engaging parents with materials and events focusing on healthy habits and physical activity. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation will provide technical assistance and support to help Clubs implement these new guidelines.
Healthy Lifestyles -- along with Academic Success and Good Character & Citizenship -- are priority areas we believe youth must do well at in order to become successful adults. As we continue our collective work toward fulfilling our vision to create Great Futures for America's kids, this partnership adds a critical element to our journey.
Thanks for all you do to change and save lives everyday!