HealthMPowers

Celebrating Our Christi Kay Award Winners 💙

Each year, the Christi Kay Award honors individuals who embody the very best of HealthMPowers—those who lead with heart, advance our mission, and inspire others through their dedication and impact. This year, we are proud to celebrate not one, but two incredible leaders—two Susans whose contributions have helped shape HealthMPowers into what it is today.

Susan Balogh has spent more than two decades advancing our mission, supporting hundreds of schools and communities, and ensuring that the voices of those we serve are always heard. Her leadership, authenticity, and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on our programs, our partners, and our team.

And alongside her, we celebrate another extraordinary Susan whose astute dedication, attention to detail and unwavering commitment to our work continue to strengthen our organization in countless ways. Together, these two women represent the heart, history, and future of HealthMPowers.

Quite simply—you can’t tell the story of HealthMPowers without them. Please join me in celebrating both Susans—two remarkable leaders, mentors, and changemakers!

Last week, we had the opportunity to celebrate a remarkable group of leaders at HealthMPowers—both those just beginning their journeys and those whose impact has shaped us for years to come.

We are incredibly proud of our graduating seniors from the Youth Advisory Board. These young leaders have helped us design and advance one of our organization’s “big bets”: that when we center youth as change agents for better health, outcomes—and systems—change for the better.

They have not only embraced this idea—they have lived it. Through their leadership, advocacy, and storytelling, they have influenced their peers, their schools, and their communities in ways that will continue far beyond their time with us.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to two extraordinary board leaders, Jasmine Hoffman and Gerry Halphen, who are concluding nearly a decade of service to HealthMPowers.

To all of our departing leaders—youth and board alike—thank you. You have left an indelible mark on this organization, and we are better because of you. We are excited to carry your impact forward as we continue building a future where young people are leading the way toward healthier communities.

Our largest Annual Youth Summit yet !✨

This year, youth health leaders from 15 counties came together for a powerful day of connection, courage, and collective vision. With our theme, Turn Up the Story, the room was alive with ideas, learning, activity and a shared belief that young people are not just the future of health—they are leading it now.
From bold conversations to moments of reflection and joy, this summit reminded us that health is a story we write every day—in our schools, communities, and in our choices. And when youth hold the pen, that story is more inclusive, more hopeful, and more transformative.

To every young leader who showed up, spoke up, and shaped what’s next: thank you for writing this chapter with us. We can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

We know school is out but we had so many awesome end-of-year stories that we have to share!

At Spring Place Elementary, students led the way with healthy habits right into the summer break. Their Student Health Advocates created the Tigers Recess Obstacle Course (T-R.O.C.)—a vibrant, outdoor space designed to transform recess into an experience that builds movement, learning, and connection all at once.

Using paint and chalk, students designed a course filled with:
✅ Letter jumps & phonics paths
✅ Number lines & skip-counting ladders
✅ Shape recognition & mazes
✅ Balance lines, hopping paths, and action stations
✅ Fun, themed drawings and classic games like hopscotch

This purposeful play:
💡 Supports cognitive and emotional development
🤝 Builds social skills and reduces conflict on the playground
🏃‍♀️ Increases physical activity and overall well-being
🛝 Creates a safer, more structured recess environment

We know that kids learn best when they can move, explore, and connect. Sensory paths like the T-R.O.C. tap into how children’s brains are wired—bringing learning to life through movement and play. Huge shoutout to these student leaders for reimagining recess and creating a more positive, inclusive school environment for everyone!

It's not always a bad thing to play with your food! Here's a great idea to kick off the summer with a fun and healthy approach to snack time: Try a “Paint Your Plate” edible art activity.

When kids get to design their own food, they’re much more excited to eat it—and they’re learning along the way.

👩‍🍳 Set the scene with a base like Greek yogurt, whole-wheat toast, or a mini tortilla
🎨 Add your “paints”—set out bowls of colorful fruits, seeds, and thinly sliced vegetables
✨ Then let creativity take over!

Challenge your little chef to create:
🖼️ A self-portrait
🌳 A landscape
👾 A funny monster

This is more than snack time—it’s hands-on learning, creativity, and healthy habits all in one. What masterpiece will your little chef create today? Post your photos and ideas!

Update on SUN Bucks: Funding Cut from State Budget in Final Hours

HealthMPowers has been working with Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry to raise awareness about Summer EBT (SUN Bucks)—a practical, proven solution that helps ensure students continue to have access to nutritious food when school is out. We ALMOST got funding secured but it was cut in the final hours of the state budget process. But we're not giving up hope!

Through this collaboration, we educate and engage youth health leaders across Georgia on the realities of food access and creative ways to expand access to healthy, nutritious foods. Our youth health leaders engaged their peers, decisionmakers and even raised their voices on the editorial pages of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Houston County Times. However, despite that momentum, funding for the program was ultimately cut at the last minute.

While that outcome is disappointing, we remain hopeful—and committed. Up next, we welcome No Kid Hungry to our annual Youth Summit to work with our youth health leaders on the power of storytelling and communication.

We recently welcomed educators from across our network to the HealthMPowers office for a GEM (Girls Empowering Movement) training—and it truly filled the room with energy, creativity, and purpose. 💜

From sharing ideas to strengthening strategies for student-led wellness, this group showed just how powerful it is when educators come together with a shared commitment to supporting girls’ leadership and health.

One of the biggest ah-ha moments from the day?
GEM projects are not only transforming student wellness—they’re increasingly impacting the wellbeing of teachers and school staff, too. 🙌 In several schools, students are intentionally designing GEM initiatives that lift up and support their educators—from promoting positive school climate to creating moments of care and connection for teachers.

✨ What if youth weren’t just part of the conversation—but leading it?

Over the past year, HealthMPowers has been reimagining what it means to support girls’ health and leadership as part of our GEM program. And thanks to support from the Health Initiative, we had the opportunity to be with other community health organizations to collaborate and plan. And one thing became clear: GEM isn’t just a program anymore. It’s a movement. We're:

💡 Shifting power to girls as leaders and changemakers
🤝 Building authentic partnerships where youth co-create—not just participate
🌱 Laying the groundwork for long-term systems change in health and equity
We’ve seen girls:
✔️ Lead advocacy efforts in their schools
✔️ Shape programs and tell their stories publicly
✔️ Inspire partners to rethink how they engage youth

Our next chapter is about building the Girls Empowering Movement ecosystem—bringing together youth, partners, and investors to scale this work in a way that is sustainable, collaborative, and deeply rooted in community.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month 💚

At HealthMPowers, we believe “nourished and active” means caring for the whole child—mind AND body 🧠💪

That’s why we’re intentionally weaving mental wellness into everything we do:
✨ Brain breaks that get kids moving, laughing, and refocused
🧘 Breathing, stretching, and mindfulness built into the school day
🏃‍♀️ Teaching that movement isn’t just exercise—it’s an effective and healthy way to cope when life feels heavy

Because sometimes, the best thing we can do is can do is move, breathe, and reconnect. Together, we’re building healthier habits for life—physically AND emotionally 💚

👉 Explore our resources + learn more: https://healthmpowers.org + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxI9ZVyX26o&list=PLGQl_nxdns-nJT3m23XzB2o0KAR_vsVt6&index=2 + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4Iqh0VrjtU&list=PLGQl_nxdns-nJT3m23XzB2o0KAR_vsVt6&index=3