Programs
Elementary School
A World Fit For Kids! (WFIT) elementary school afterschool programming includes:
- Physical Activity
- Homework Assistance
- Healthy Snacks
- Enrichment Activities
- Nutrition Education
- Mentoring
Young children are filled with energy. They love to be in motion. WFIT encourages them to do just that. We give them a place to move and teach them to direct their energy in positive ways. With physical education being cut in elementary schools across California, young children have less of an opportunity to develop critical motor skills required to perform in sports—competitive physical activity that is key to keeping kids active and engaged in healthy behaviors throughout middle school and high school.
WFIT intentionally integrates fun and purposeful physical activity with proven youth development principles to provide elementary school children with a structured afterschool experience. Coach-Mentors lead students in fun, age-appropriate sports, dance, purposeful games and other physical activities that develop basic motor skills, body awareness, coordination, agility and manipulation. Elementary-level programs are specifically designed to maximize participation, reinforce skills through repetition, promote healthy social interaction, and provide opportunities for individual and team play.
Elementary school programs are conducted in a health-conscious environment—junk food is prohibited, healthy snacks are provided, and health/nutrition messages are integrated in formal and informal ways. Nutrition education occurs weekly and consists of classroom lessons and hands-on food preparation experiences. Students also have daily access to homework assistance, and engage in enrichment activities such as literacy and library programs, arts and crafts, computers, field trips and other special projects.
High school students from our Mentors in Motion℠ program serve our elementary school programs as Assistant Coach-Mentors. They gain work experience and personal confidence, as they serve as positive role models and provide the children they coach-mentor with encouragement, support and guidance that may be lacking in other areas of their lives.
In recognition of our exemplary practices in fighting childhood obesity and hunger, the California Department of Public Health and the Center for Collaborative Solutions have certified the WFIT program at Frank del Olmo and Norwood Elementary Schools as Healthy Behaviors Learning Centers. Although these two schools have been formally designated with this status, the WFIT’s team commitment is that all of our participating schools are literally “healthy behaviors learning centers”—exemplary models of best practices and standards for physical activity and nutrition.
A World Fit For Kids! serves the following elementary schools in Los Angeles:
- Betty Plasencia Elementary
- Frank Del Olmo Elementary
- Norwood Elementary
Join the Movement!
Create a better world…A World Fit For Kids! Join the movement to create positive change in your community by making a tax-deductible donation to invest in the health, success and well-being of all young people.
