Federal funding for early childhood education and care promotes three overarching policy goals: (1) increasing children's access to services; (2) raising the quality of early childhood programs; and (3) fostering greater coordination among the many providers--public schools, center-based child care, home-based child care, Head Start, and more--of…

Safe and healthy recess promotes a Culture of Health in schools by providing students time to develop socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. The Issue: This brief describes elementary schools' experiences implementing a safe and healthy recess with the Playworks TeamUp program. Key Findings: (1) Playworks' TeamUp program can help…

Since 2005 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has supported Playworks, an innovative program that provides supervised, inclusive recess programs at schools across the country. Jill Vialet, who founded Play4Kids, the precursor to Playworks, saw the need, particularly in urban elementary schools, for a new kind of recess that included…

Nearly 17 percent of children and adolescents are obese, but early interventions in nutrition and physical activity can prevent that number from increasing. This snapshot explores how schools can enact policies to help students develop healthy habits early in life. The following topics are briefly discussed: (1) Why Target Schools?; (2) Early…

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has set out to expand existing partnerships and form new alliances in order to take on the most pervasive challenges of our time: improving the health and well-being of everyone in America. It has formalized its commitment by bringing together its work under the thematic efforts of "Healthy Children,…

Chronic absenteeism is a critical national problem that puts more than 6.5 million schoolchildren at risk for falling behind academically, dropping out of school, and serious long-term health, employment, and financial consequences. There is a growing movement among schools, states, and the federal government to address the underlying causes of…

A 20-year retrospective study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in the July 2015 issue of the "American Journal of Public Health," suggests that kindergarten students who are more inclined to exhibit "social competence" traits--such as sharing, cooperating, or helping other kids--may be more likely to…

In 2011, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) created the Forward Promise initiative within its Vulnerable Populations Portfolio to place a strategic emphasis on the needs of middle school- and high school-aged young men of color. RWJF's goal is to strengthen educational opportunities, pathways to employment, and health outcomes for these…

This brief report updates data published in August 2010 from the most comprehensive, ongoing nationwide analysis of written wellness policies. It includes data from the 2006-07 through the 2010-11 school years, which were the first five years following the required implementation date for wellness policies. The major findings and trends presented…

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge today, with complex roots interwoven into nearly every facet of American life. This poll addresses one narrow slice of this web: the challenges that families face during the "crunch time" of the work and school week, between 3 p.m. and the time children go to bed. Compared to the school day,…

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge today, with complex roots interwoven into nearly every facet of American life. This poll addresses one narrow slice of this web: the challenges that families face during the "crunch time" of the work and school week, between 3 pm and the time children go to bed. Compared to the school day, this…

As awareness of the childhood obesity crisis spreads, schools across the country are recognizing the importance of providing higher-quality, more nutritious food, and of re-integrating physical activity back into students' daily routines. With disparate amounts of resources to accomplish this, some schools may be finding it easier than others to…

While it's known that education leads to better jobs and higher income, research also shows strong links between education and longevity, reduced risk of illness, and increased vitality and school success for future generations. Yet, changing demographic trends and rising college costs portend poorly for health. This brief examines the role that…

Elementary schools are faced with a challenge: boosting student learning in an era when students face far more than schoolwork-related difficulties. Too often today, kids enter the classroom contending with issues ranging from bullying and emotional trauma to family instability and economic hardship--which can lead to behavioral problems that…

In a political climate where most public schools have reduced or eliminated P.E. entirely in response to budget cuts and increased pressure to improve academic test scores, Naperville High School in Illinois stands out as an anomaly. The school's already robust daily P.E. program is specifically designed around the notion that physical activity…