Media Partner

Cooking Light article September 2007

We need many “voices” to help overcome overweight and obesity as well as the other health problems our nation faces. Regardless of weight, a majority of Americans are not making healthy eating and physical activity choices that can reduce chronic diseases. It will take many people and voices to make a difference. One publication that has provided a strong and consistent voice for wellness is Cooking Light.

Cooking Light

• Today’s Partner
  
  Healthy Kids Challenge, the nation's leading school-based health initiative, and Cooking Light have joined forces to encourage children and families to make healthy eating and physical activity a lifetime habit.
  
  The credibility and wide reach of Cooking Light, through its monthly publication, active web site and ongoing programs, plus its database of thousands of kitchen-tested recipes, provides additional resources and opportunities for the program to grow and affect more Americans. To brainstorm ideas about how your company can become a part of the Healthy Kids Challenge, in affiliation with Cooking Light, call your Cooking Light sales representative.

• Yesterday’s Beginning
  
  Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC) was founded in 1998, when Cooking Light staff and volunteers partnered with nearby Center Street Middle School to raise awareness and encourage healthy changes in the eating and activity habits of these urban schoolchildren. The success of the “kids-parents-teachers” project led to plans for an ongoing initiative. The vast reach of the magazine and Web site helped to promote and support efforts to make a healthy difference today for tomorrow.
  
  The growth was and continues to be phenomenal! The early one week, one school trial in 1998-99, led to a four-school pilot in 1999-2000. Positive survey results of 1400 kids and 900 adults involved in The Challenge that year spurred the program on to over 600 schools on board at the end of school year 2000-2001.
  
  In July 2001, HKC began a new phase of growth! Top-level corporate changes required that HKC either become a for-profit or freestanding, non-profit program. The decision that the HKC mission can be best served by remaining non-profit wasn’t difficult, but also meant HKC would be freestanding! We are excited to be able to continue a strong partnership with Cooking Light.
  
  HKC continues to look much the same, but we now seek foundation and grant funds, and corporate sponsorships to not only maintain our current level of assistance to kids and families, but expand to meet the national demand.
  
  Today thousands of schools across the U.S., including Australia, Japan, British Columbia, and Canada are Taking the Challenge!