Kentucky

Known as the Bluegrass State for its fertile soil, Kentucky is bordered by the Ohio River to the north and the Appalachian Mountains to the east. Each May, the state celebrates the Kentucky Derby, a renowned horse race that has taken place since 1875.

Despite the state’s many appeals, it also faces a troubling problem: Nearly 36 percent of Kentucky’s young people are overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems.

Thanks to support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is working with communities throughout the state to make it easier for kids to lead healthier lives.

 

Our Work in Kentucky

In Kentucky, we’re making it easier for kids to develop healthy habits.

Almost 1,200 schools serving over 632,000 students across the state have joined Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program, creating healthier school environments for children to thrive. Since 2007, 79 Kentucky schools have been recognized with National Healthy Schools Awards for their outstanding efforts.

In Kentucky, we’ve made it easier for more than 16,800 youth in 41 out-of school time programs to eat right and move more through our Healthy Out-of-School Time Initiative. 

Healthier Generation also enlists the help of regional and local partners to create healthier schools. These partners, such as HealthCorps and Baptist Health of Madisonville, receive specialized professional development training from Healthier Generation staff and gain access to Healthier Generation's customized professional development training, tools, resources and data that empower them to guide schools to improve physical activity and nutrition policies and practices.

 

Success Stories

Hear from our school champions from just one of the many districts we work with in Kentucky: Fayette County Public Schools, enrolled with the Healthy Schools Program since 2011.

We used Healthier Generation's Product Navigator and Calculator and compiled a list of snack items that meet the guidelines. This made it easier to keep track of what’s being bought and sold to our kids.

Angela Stark
Physical Education Teacher, Southern Middle School, KY

 

Contact us and make your contribution to children's health in Kentucky.

Soudary Kittivong-Greenbaum
give@healthiergeneration.org