Uniting Trailblazers for Children’s Health

Annual Impact Report 2024

Dear Friends,

For nearly 20 years, Healthier Generation has envisioned a world where our children live healthier lives.

As we step into 2025, navigating significant changes in national leadership, our core commitments remain unwavering. We are dedicated to supporting educators and caregivers in fostering healthier environments for everyone, enhancing access to nutrition and physical activity, advancing vaccine education, and promoting initiatives that strengthen social-emotional resilience and mental health. Our values of inclusivity and respect for diversity continue to be the foundation of our mission.

As a leader, my commitment to you is that our decisions and actions continue to reflect our purposeful, deliberate approach to advancing equitable whole child health. In 2024, we embodied this approach by actively listening, continuously learning, and confidently leading in partnership with local leaders.

Supporting Homes, Schools, and Communities Since 2005

Healthy Homes▸

Healthy Schools▸

Healthy Communities▸

Breaking New Ground with America’s Healthiest Schools

In 2024, Healthier Generation recognized a record-breaking 879 America’s Healthiest Schools across 30 states. With support from Del Monte Foods, Kaiser Permanente, and Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares, we honored these schools for advancing the physical, mental, and social-emotional health of students, staff, and families across nine topic areas.

Students at Longview Elementary School in Phoenix, Arizona, celebrate their win.

One-third of this year’s cohort were first-time awardees, and 66 schools earned the All-Star distinction by achieving recognition in all topic areas. Seventy-nine percent of this year’s awardees are Title I schools, and 64% serve mostly students of color. Texas, California, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Arizona were the most heavily-awarded states.

Since America’s Healthiest Schools debuted in 2007, a cumulative total of 3,023 schools have been recognized in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

Tennessee Coordinated School Health improves students’ health and their capacity to learn through the support of schools, families, and communities working together. We are so excited that seven of our schools were recognized by Alliance for a Healthier Generation as 2024 America’s Healthiest Schools. To have seven of our amazing schools selected for this achievement is an honor as it not only recognizes the incredible work they do to support students, staff, and families but also helps our agency to elevate their best practices and commitment to prioritizing positive health and educational outcomes. We are proud of the work they have done and continue to do to ensure that their students are healthy and ready to learn!

Lori Paisley,
Assistant Commissioner of Coordinated School Health,
Tennessee Department of Education

Lori Paisley (second from the right) celebrates with school leaders in Tennessee.

Convening Champions at the America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit

Participants enjoy a scenic Wellness Walk on the first day of the 2024 America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit in Little Rock, AR.

In October, Healthier Generation brought together representatives from this year’s 66 All-Star schools and other top awardees for three days of networking, professional development, and celebration at the America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Highlights of the summit included expert panels on the power of storytelling and strategies to improve attendance, and a workshop on the role of schools in addressing food and nutrition security led by Dr. Kofi Essel of Elevance Health. All-Star schools were honored at a special recognition ceremony held at the Clinton Presidential Center, where Del Monte Foods, sponsor of the Improving Nutrition & Food Access topic area, was announced as the 2024 Corporate Hero.

Representatives from All-Star schools pose with CEO Kathy Higgins at the 2024 Leaders Summit recognition ceremony.

Growing ‘Healthy Choices’ Impact with Kohl’s Healthy at Home

In April, Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares, and Healthier Generation announced a 3-year, $5 million continued investment in Kohl’s Healthy at Home, a multimedia hub of culturally responsive family health and wellness resources that has reached over 30,000 schools, districts, and community organizations.

From health tips delivered by SMS text message to interactive micro-learnings to kid-friendly recipes from celebrity chefs, Kohl’s Healthy at Home continues to meet parents and caregivers where they are, with practical ways to prioritize healthy choices. This year, in addition to English and Spanish, we offered family resources translated into two new languages: Mandarin and Nepali.

Over the next three years, Kohl’s reinvestment in this effort will support new community-based engagement strategies to advance family’s physical, mental, and social-emotional health, including:

Dissemination of the Healthy at Home Playbook for Schools, which outlines best-in-class programs, policies, and solutions for school and family partnerships that optimize children’s health and well-being.
Focused support for select communities across the country to implement the playbook, in conjunction with tried and true Healthy at Home resources and best practices.
National awareness and engagement campaigns to increase student and family access to nourishing foods, physical activity, and social-emotional supports.

Looking ahead, Kohl’s and Healthier Generation are also excited to build upon the more than 500 America’s Healthiest Schools awardees who were recognized in the Family & Community Engagement topic area this year.

Kohl’s associate Michael M. leads a wellness fair activity at John M. Palmer Elementary School in Chicago, IL, in collaboration with Healthier Generation and Pilot Light, a local food nonprofit.

Partnering with YouTube Kids for “Connected with Care”

In January, YouTube Kids and Healthier Generation collaborated on a curated playlist to provide caregivers with a “safe place to land” in today’s digital landscape. The success of this playlist led to a yearlong collaboration during which we produced a series of “Connected with Care” videos, each supported by a companion blog post and additional resources for a fully engaging multimedia experience.

Released during Mental Health Awareness Month, Della and the Search for the Mirror of Identity focuses on self-identity and acceptance. The animated story, which has garnered more than 10 million views since its debut, follows Della on a treasure hunt where she discovers friends and, ultimately, her own identity. For the back-to-school season, we created a taste test video in which kids try healthy snack recipes and share their opinions using a "tried it, liked it, loved it" scale. The final video in the series, released in observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, features students learning about adapted movement.

Della the Duck searches for the Mirror of Identity in the first of our “Connected with Care” video series.

Boosting Movement and Engagement with The Walking Classroom

The Walking Classroom, Healthier Generation’s award-winning podcast-based program, continues to help students nationwide walk, listen, and learn.

One such school is Patrick Henry Elementary in St. Louis, Missouri. After observing the successful rollout of The Walking Classroom at Patrick Henry, administrators decided to implement the program district-wide.

We service over 18,000 students, and we knew our kids were not meeting the CDC guidelines of 300 minutes [of physical activity per week]. With The Walking Classroom, we’ve noticed if they’re getting a 20-minute walk once or twice a week that’s boosting up those physical activity minutes automatically, plus they’re obviously learning academic skills.

Leanne White
Director of Healthy Schools Initiatives,
Saint Louis Public Schools

Student listening to the Walking Classroom

A student at Patrick Henry Elementary listens to The Walking Classroom on a walk inside during a winter school day.

Support from funders like JCPenney Communities Foundation, the bioMérieux Endowment Fund, Oak Foundation, and On fuels expansion of The Walking Classroom’s impact to more communities. For example, JCPenney Communities Foundation's three-year commitment helped Sharon Bradley, Director of Family and Social Services at Plano Independent School District, incorporate the program to promote learning and physical activity in the summer.

Kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County in Plano, TX use The Walking Classroom to counteract the ‘summer slide’.

Together in Gratitude

To our founders, donors, and philanthropic supporters, including Del Monte Foods, Kaiser Permanente, and Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares: Thank you for helping us build a world where every young person is healthy and ready to succeed.

To parents and caregivers, educators, administrators, and school staff: Thank you for your ceaseless work to ensure that children can thrive in safe environments surrounded by trusted adults.

To the trailblazers of children’s health: Thank you for your unwavering courage in joining with Alliance for a Healthier Generation to implement innovative strategies and a culturally responsive approach to advance equitable whole child health.

Network of Supporters

Founders and Legacy Supporters

These organizations and individuals have provided historically significant financial support of at least $1 million to Healthier Generation since its founding.

Founders:

American Heart Association
Clinton Foundation

Legacy Supporters:

BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CVS Health Foundation
Freedom Together Foundation (Formerly The JPB Foundation)
Harmony Academy at National University
Health Foundation of South Florida
Kaiser Permanente
Kessler Family Fund
Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares
MacKenzie Scott
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Missouri Foundation for Health
NIKE, Inc.
Novo Nordisk
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Target Enterprise, Inc.
The Campbell's Company
Walmart Foundation

Current Supporters

These supporters provided $20,000 or more to support Healthier Generation’s work in fiscal year 2024.

AdvoCare Foundation
BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation
bioMérieux Endowment Fund
CareQuest Oral Health Institute
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Community Wealth Partners
Del Monte Foods
Google Fitbit
Harmony Academy at National University
JCPenney Communities Foundation
Kaiser Permanente
Kentucky Department of Education
Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares
MacKenzie Scott
Mary Black Foundation
Massachusetts Department of Education
Merck
Minnesota Department of Education
National Park Foundation
Novo Nordisk
Oak Foundation
On
Pull Up Fund
Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust
The Campbell's Company
The Common Market/ The Rockefeller Foundation
University of Kentucky
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
YouTube Kids

2024 America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit Sponsors

Annie E. Casey Foundation
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Cairn Guidance
Elkay
GoNoodle
Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

Board of Directors

Meet our Board of Directors

Welcoming New Leaders

Healthier Generation has a sterling reputation for advancing public health to help young people and their families thrive. After nearly 40 years of primary care practice, I am honored to contribute my experience in preventive medicine and community health to build and support Healthier Generation’s legacy.

Dr. Mary Ann Bauman,
Former Medical Director, Women's Health and Community Relations, INTEGRIS Health

Learn more about Dr. Mary Ann Bauman

I am proud of Healthier Generation’s national impact and how its programs are making a difference. Ensuring continued sustainability of the organization is our responsibility and I am committed to generating awareness with strategic funders and everyday donors of our mission to advance health equity in under-resourced communities.

Karla D’Alleva Valas,
Head of Private Wealth Management and Executive Services, Fidelity Investments

Learn more about Karla D’Alleva Valas