Choosing Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids (CHALK) is NewYork-Presbyterian’s (NYP) obesity prevention program in collaboration with Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the community of Northern Manhattan. The program developed out of a need to serve the high risk, predominantly Latino community of Washington Heights/Inwood. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in Northern Manhattan by creating an environment in which healthy lifestyles are integral to the lives of all children and their families. NYP CHALK’s core areas of focus are public schools and early childhood centers, community- and faith-based organizations, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital outpatient practices.
NYP CHALK aims to address childhood obesity within the context of family and community. We use a non-prescriptive approach to implement systemic changes while leveraging community resources and focusing on sustainability. The program model stems from working within an academic–community partnership framework that is asset-based, where the co-design process and capacity building are central to the success of each partnership. This approach makes the program model easily adaptable into a variety of settings.
