Seven Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools have received national recognition for helping children develop healthy, lifelong habits with exercise, nutrition and education.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, recognized 328 schools in 29 states and the District of Columbia. LAUSD school included the Young Oak Kim Academy of Los Angeles on Shatto Place in Koreatown. The other six school are located in the Wilmington District.

“The students, staff and leadership at Young Oak Kim Academy have led in Los Angeles and continue to live the spirit of Colonel Young Oak Kim,” said LAUSD School Board member Mónica García. “From single gender STEM instruction to building strong partnerships, the academy is modeling what is possible, and this recognition from the Alliance for a Healthy Generation celebrates powerful partnerships on the movement toward 100 percent graduation in Los Angeles.”

The schools met or exceeded stringent standards set by the alliance for serving healthy meals and snacks, getting students to exercise more often, offering physical and health education, and empowering school leaders to become healthy role models.

“We are striving to create a culture of health in our schools, and this recognition shows we are making progress,” said LAUSD superintendent Michelle King. “If kids eat healthy meals and learn healthy habits, they will perform better in school and will be less likely to miss classroom time. This puts them on track to reach a goal we share with our students and parents – graduating high school college-prepared and career-ready.”

Approximately one-out-of-three children is obese, putting them at-risk later in life for diabetes, asthma heart failure and other diseases, according to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Children can improve their health by cutting back on sweetened beverages. Approximately one-in-five students consume the equivalent of an extra meal daily by drinking beverages with added sugar.

The award-winning schools were recognized earlier by the “Let’s Move!” program, which was started by First Lady Michelle Obama. That effort and the alliance’s program follow the same framework, emphasizing physical activity and education.

For information, visit www.lausd.net.