Initiative Archive
Childhood Obesity Initiative Summary
An effort of the Trust that began in late 2003. In early 2004, $900,000 was committed to this effort with grants to the YMCA and the YWCA. These demonstration projects each needed to include education, diet, nutrition, and exercise components; parental involvement; incentives for continued participation, and measurable goals and objectives...
Poor and Needy Division: Childhood Obesity Initiative (Round I): Sept 2007
Project SELF Improvement
One of the largest sets of grants ever awarded by the Trust was made in 2001 for a $10 million chronic disease prevention initiatve called Project SELF (Smoking, Education, Lifestyle, and Fitness) Improvement. The initiative addressed three core behaviors - tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity - that together account for over two-thirds of North Carolina's disabilities and premature deaths.
The initiative funded 15 projects in communities throughout the state. Each project sought to educate North Carolinians about achieving better health through lifestyle changes. Targeted groups ranged from seniors to high school students. Every program built on the resources and partnerships unique to the targeted community.
The success at each site was measured in rising physical activity levels, better nutrition, less tobacco use, and lower body mass among participants. The strong education component defined the overall program and served as a catalyst to lasting change among individuals suffering from or at-risk of developing chronic diseases. Project SELF Improvement served as the harbinger of a shift in the Trust's strategic focus on the vital role of prevention in improving the quality of life and health of individuals throughout North Carolina.
To read the North Carolina Medical Journal's special feature on Project SELF Improvement, click here.
Click here for the Center for Disease Control's article on Project SELF Improvement.
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