Changing Lives, Saving Lives: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Exemplary Practices in Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Food Security in Afterschool Programs was developed by the Center for Collaborative Solutions. The guide is designed to help program directors, leadership team members, site directors and your partners–in an intentional and systematic way–strengthen your afterschool program to help students develop healthy lifestyle habits. The six practices have been vetted with expert stakeholders and afterschool practitioners, and implemented at an exemplary level by ten afterschool programs across the state.

Each chapter defines and explains a particular practice and offers concrete examples of how the Healthy Behaviors afterschool programs we’ve worked with have developed and strengthened their approaches, overcome obstacles and achieved their goals. Indicators at the end of each chapter will help you establish baselines and identify what you want to address. Programs are encouraged to focus on one or two high priority areas at a time and then assess progress at three- and six-month intervals.