It’s that time of year: back to school! Families are rushing around, finishing summer fun while shopping for school supplies, signing up for team sports and preparing to dive right back in to the busy school year. It’s also an exciting time for the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), an organization we work with to help fight childhood obesity. It gives away playgrounds and grants through a series of sweepstakes, develop free “energy balance” curriculum for teachers and school nurses, and engage online to encourage a commonsense approach to active, healthy living. We look forward to what’s in store this year. HWCF has built an incredible network of organizations choosing to work together towards the same goal. And many of them are heavily involved in their communities and schools – perhaps most heavily through after-school programs. HWCF recognized that after-school programs are a great way to reach students. Seeing the potential to further the message of active, healthy living and help reduce obesity, they developed the Energy Balance 101: Enrichment Zone, a place for non-profit organizations and community members to access resources to use within their existing curriculum, after-school programming and community programs or with volunteers. It incorporates and reinforces key Energy Balance (EB) 101 concepts, promotes physical activity and inspires kids to be mindful of their daily energy balance for life. The activities are designed to be fun, playful and motivational; age-appropriate and inclusive of all skill levels and abilities; and suitable for a range of indoor and outdoor facilities with a variety of resources. Be sure and check it out, and feel free to use anything you find – free of charge. You can share this with your employees, customers or the schools and organizations in your community. And check back next month when HWCF launches this year’s sweepstakes!