Collaboration for Health Activity & Nutrition in Children's Environments (CHANCE)
CHANCE is a pilot project of Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in New York State, serving limited resource families. CHANCE supports healthier children's environments by collaborating with schools, daycares, after-school programs, and other community groups to make changes that will enhance nutrition and active play. Providing healthy meals and snacks, making time and space for active play, finding safe ways to walk to school, and not use food as rewards are all examples of steps that make healthy choices easier.
To "give kids a CHANCE" to reap the benefits of healthy lifestyles, we're developing and evaluating innovative ways to prevent childhood obesity by targeting key behaviors and environmental factors.
The Target Audience
CHANCE promotes healthy food choices and active play among preschool and elementary school-aged children by working with parents and other adults who influence children and shape the environments where children live, learn and play. These early years are when lifelong habits develop and when parents and other care-givers are especially important role models and sources of information for children. Healthy diets and physical fitness are linked to better social and physical development and improved health throughout life.
The Funding
CHANCE is made possible through funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services, the College of Human Ecology and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.
To Learn More:
To learn more about his project contact Tisa Hill, CHANCE Coordinator, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University.
