In 2010, Buncombe County Health Department reported that 33.7% of K-5 students were overweight or obese. Children First/Communities in Schools of Buncombe County is a local organization that is devoted to empowering children and families to reach their full potential through advocacy, education and services. Their “Learning Centers” program provides a safe, free-of-charge afterschool environment for some of the 25% of Buncombe County children who live in poverty. The Learning Centers Program incorporates new initiatives specifically geared toward improving children’s health and school readiness through increased physical activity, improved eating habits and increased knowledge. The purpose of this public service project was to work with Children First/Communities in School to conduct a program evaluation of recently added program initiatives, funded by a Mission Benefits Grant. The evaluation included analysis of qualitative and quantitative data collected from children and parents participating in the Learning Centers Program. At the time of writing this abstract, the baseline data were collected and a follow-up survey will be conducted in May 2014. It is our shared hope that in completing this evaluation, Children First/Communities in Schools will find a meaningful connection between their recent efforts and increased health knowledge among their participants. As a result, we hope the organization will receive additional funding from local sponsors and continue to engage their program participants in a truly holistic program that fosters knowledge and practice of healthy behaviors. Through my work with Children First/Communities in Schools I have gained skills in the area of formal program evaluation and been able to experience the impact that the incorporation of creative nutritional and physical activity programs has on the empowerment and health status of at-risk youth within my local community
