Giving Compass' Take:

• The Wellness in Schools nonprofit program's goal is to end child obesity by partnering with public schools and providing nutritious food and education. This article shows how it impacted a public school in the Bronx. 

• How can donors best leverage their money to make an impact on childhood obesity? What difficulties do nonprofits encounter when trying to get healthy lunches in schools?

• Here's how to prevent childhood obesity using technology. 

The students of P.S./M.S. 95 Sheila Mencher don’t just eat their fruits and vegetables, they make sure they’re chowing down on healthy mental meals as well.

Through the Wellness in the Schools program, students at the Hillman Avenue school set their minds and bodies right through health class and a revised lunch menu. Some kids are even taking the tips home.

“We learned about what we should eat to keep our bones healthy,” said Sidratul Choudhury about the lessons from her health class. “And we also learned about the digestive system and how the systems separate the nutrients from the bad stuff.”

The 9-year-old, like many of the students who take Alyse Rosen’s primary school-level health course, are learning ways to combat harmful habits. They’re also studying the five major food groups as well as physical fitness.

Read the full article about programs tackling childhood obesity by Simone Johnson at The Riverdale Press