Our Vision

All Florida children have the opportunity to move more and eat smarter where they live, play and learn.

Our Mission

The mission of the FL Pioneering Healthier Communities Partnership is to strengthen relationships, leverage partnerships and resources and enhance collaboration to facilitate policy and environmental changes that will reduce the burden of childhood obesity in Florida.

Our Challenge

In 2011, 6,212 students in 78 Florida public high schools participated in the Youth Risk Factor Survey. From this survey it is estimated that approximately 92,400 high school students (13.6%) are overweight. Trend data demonstrates that prevalence of overweight is higher among non-Hispanic blacks (17.2%) than non- Hispanic whites 911.8%). The same 2011 survey demonstrated that approximately 11.5% of the high school students surveyed were obese (78,200) with the prevalence being higher among males (15.2%) than females (7.7%) and higher among non-Hispanic blacks (15.7%) than Hispanics (11.4%) and non-Hispanic whites (9.6%).

Our Strengths

Florida has a number of different partners that have elevated health and obesity among their organizations’ key priorities. There is tremendous coordination and collaboration as well as a history of working collegially together. There are vast opportunities for partnership in Florida; more of these will be assessed for participation on the FL Partnership.

Our Objectives

• Creating “family friendly” grocery aisles that promote healthy, fresh foods.
• Implementing healthy eating and active living opportunities for children during out of school time.
• Providing enhanced opportunities for physical activity in the community through joint use agreements with schools.
• Providing safe and accessible opportunities for physical activity through increasing complete streets and safe routes to schools.
• Continuing to collaborate with partners whose mission is similar and who want to advance healthy eating and active living in Florida, specifically addressing the childhood obesity problem.
• Providing enhanced instruction and support to teachers to assist in increasing physical activity in the classroom.

Our Partners

• Agency for Health Care Administration
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.
• American Heart Association, Greater Southeast Affiliate
• Community Advocate
• Duval County Health Department and Healthy Jacksonville
• Florida Action for Healthy Kids
• Florida Chapter, American Academy of Pediatricians
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Florida Department of Children and Families
• Florida Department of Education
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Florida Department of Health
• Florida Department of Health in Volusia County
• Florida State Alliance of YMCAs
• Food Policy Network
• Marco Island YMCA
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership
• Sanford-Burnam Medical Research Center
• UnitedHealthcare
• University of South Florida, College of Public Health Prevention
• Research Center
• Volusia-Flagler YMCA
• Winter Park Health Foundation
• YMCA of Broward County

Registration

Communities working to reduce obesity can click on this registration form to be added to an email distribution system for information on funding opportunities, resources and other information.

Resources

• Community Grants Program

Healthy Food Financing Issue 2014

• Healthy Food Financing Issue Brief
• Healthy Food Financing Issue 101
• Healthy Food Financing Issue Fact Sheet Advocates
• Healthy Food Financing Issue Research Summary by Policylink
• Healthy Food Financing Issue Rural Case Studies