American Heart Association Honors Students and Educators for Combatting Childhood Obesity Through School Programs

The American Heart Association has honored nine students, schools and educators from across the country during a virtual awards ceremony held on November 20, recognizing their efforts to combat rising childhood obesity rates and create healthier learning environments. One in every five American children and teens is currently obese, representing a 35% increase since 2000, while severe childhood obesity rates have nearly doubled during that same period according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The annual ceremony recognizes outstanding participants in the Association's nationwide in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™, celebrating individuals and schools for their contributions to advancing the organization's lifesaving work. Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, emphasized the significance of these efforts, stating that alarming health trends like rising childhood obesity are challenges that can be overcome through collective action.

Award recipients participated in either Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge during the 2024-25 school year and were nominated by Association staff. The honorees included Dr. Nicole Wesley from Redondo Beach Unified School District in California as Superintendent of the Year, Rob Dorsett from Perryville High School in Maryland as Outstanding American Heart Challenge Volunteer of the Year, and Zachary Barrows from Summerlake Elementary in Florida receiving the Heart-Healthy School Award.

Other recipients included Marline Price from Parkview Baptist in Louisiana as Outstanding Kids Heart Challenge Volunteer of the Year, Natalie Wheeler from Community School District 22-New York City receiving the Open-Door Award, and the team of Jon Curtis and Amy Wolske from Greenfield Elementary in Wisconsin as Outstanding Team of the Year. Additional honors went to Kacey Chong from Southern Highlands Preparatory School in Nevada as Principal of the Year, Melissa Smith from Texas Region 16 as Specialist/Nurse of the Year, and Riley Jimenez from Tuloso Midway Intermediate School in Texas receiving the Young Heart Leadership Award.

The Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs are grounded in scientific principles and designed to improve physical and emotional well-being while supporting academic success. These initiatives reach more than 10 million students in approximately 20,000 U.S. schools annually, teaching participants and their families essential health skills including proper nutrition, stress management, tobacco and vaping avoidance, and recognition of heart attack and stroke warning signs. Students also learn Hands-Only CPR, a critical lifesaving skill that children can effectively use by age 12 if they witness a sudden cardiac arrest. More information about these programs is available at heart.org/jointhechallenge.