Collaborating to support Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities partnerships.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health
• Health Policy

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) initiated the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) program in 2008.
• HKHC aimed to combat the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how collaboration was defined and implemented within the HKHC program.
• To examine the impact of collaboration on program design, strategy, and grantee success.
• To understand how collaboration influenced the broader healthy communities movement and philanthropic practices.

Main Methods:

• The study focuses on the conceptualization and practice of collaboration among national partners.
• It analyzes the role of collaboration in shaping program elements like strategy, technical assistance, and evaluation.
• The evaluation was conducted by Transtria, with Active Living By Design serving as the national program office.

Main Results:

• Collaboration was a fundamental element shaping all aspects of the HKHC national program.
• The program supported 50 diverse community partnerships targeting high-risk populations.
• Collaboration positively influenced grantee success and contributed to the growth of the healthy communities movement.

Conclusions:

• The collaborative approach of HKHC was integral to its achievements.
• Effective collaboration fostered community partnerships and advanced the healthy communities agenda.
• The HKHC model demonstrated the power of collaboration in philanthropic initiatives.