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Oliver Foundation Programs & Activities
The Oliver Foundation is a Houston-based 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of childhood obesity. We provide technical support, training and nutrition education materials to grant recipients. The level of technical support decreases yearly, creating a sustainable environment when the grant period ends.
Highlights of the training and initiative activities include:
teens and adults to Make HEALTHY CHOICES for Life!
Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) - Fall 2011 to Spring 2013
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics - Nutrition, has embarked on a two year intervention study to track Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of 2nd grade students at three elementary schools in Spring Branch Independent School District. These students will be followed through their 3rd grade year. The concept of this program is to integrate health, nutrition and physical activity into the already established curriculum. This program has been evaluated and found to produce significant changes in children's risk factors for developing obesity in adulthood. The study is titled: The Oliver Kid's TEAM: An Integrated, Peer Support Program to Prevent Obesity: Spring Branch Independent School District.
YES Prep Public School, Southeast Campus - Fall 2012 - Present
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Healthy Kids, Healthy Families has embarked on a new program, "STOP 2048®." This accredited curriculum at YES Prep Public School devotes three days of physical education classes and two days of health through nutrition classes. High school students from within the school are trained to teach the physical education and nutrition lessons so that they are prepared to lead their peers and younger classmates in and beyond the classroom. These student instructors are called mentors. Mentor led instruction helps to create a fun environment and increases the feeling of accessibility to the students. Body Mass Index and other behavioral changes are measured to determine the effectiveness of this program.
Sugar Grove Elementary School - Spring 2008
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine evaluated 72 educational vignettes ("Shorts") at Sugar Grove Elementary School, Houston TX. The shorts were produced by the Oliver Foundation, The OrganWise Guys Inc. and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the acceptability of the 72 educational vignettes of children who attend a private school. Teachers also evaluated the vignettes to determine their applicability to a school environment
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2007 - Fall 2009
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition embarked on a two year intervention study to track Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of 2nd grade students at four elementary schools in Fort Bend Independent School District. These students were followed through their 3rd grade year. The study was titled: An Evaluation of an Intensive Elementary School-based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program. A Project of the Oliver Foundation: The Oliver Kids Team in Fort Bend Independent School District.
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2005 - Spring 2011
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition embarked on a six-year study to track the Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of the 2005-2006 kindergarten class in Fort Bend Independent School District. Data gathering began in September 2005 and followed over 4,200 children. The study was titled: The Oliver Foundation Kids Team in Fort Bend Independent School District: A six-year longitudinal study of BMI trends among elementary school children in healthy school environments.
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2004 - Spring 2011
In 2004 an educational program began in Fort Bend ISD that trained all elementary school educators on ways to incorporate healthy nutrition choices and increase physical activity in the classroom. This training came about through a grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Oliver Foundation, educating over 30,000 individuals.
Neighborhood Centers Inc. (NCI) Spring 2004 - Fall 2007
The Oliver Foundation provided funds to establish training at the four Houston area Neighborhood Centers, including the Charter School at Ripley House. The Oliver Foundation joined NCI in its mission to bring resources, education and connection to underserved neighborhoods.
The Oliver Foundation is a Houston-based 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of childhood obesity. We provide technical support, training and nutrition education materials to grant recipients. The level of technical support decreases yearly, creating a sustainable environment when the grant period ends.
Highlights of the training and initiative activities include:
- A full-time dietitian and a dedicated Program Director who works with teachers, nurses, and other educators at grant sites to help them understand messages, implement core plans and meet the goals of helping kids make healthy choices for life.
- The Oliver Kids Team program which incorporates resource materials to support.
- The use of "OrganWise Guys" materials, which include books, videos and worksheets that incorporate such characters as "Organ Annie" and her friends "Hardee Heart", "Madame Muscle" and "Peter Pancreas" Through these fun characters, students learn about healthy eating and physical activity.
teens and adults to Make HEALTHY CHOICES for Life!
Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) - Fall 2011 to Spring 2013
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics - Nutrition, has embarked on a two year intervention study to track Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of 2nd grade students at three elementary schools in Spring Branch Independent School District. These students will be followed through their 3rd grade year. The concept of this program is to integrate health, nutrition and physical activity into the already established curriculum. This program has been evaluated and found to produce significant changes in children's risk factors for developing obesity in adulthood. The study is titled: The Oliver Kid's TEAM: An Integrated, Peer Support Program to Prevent Obesity: Spring Branch Independent School District.
YES Prep Public School, Southeast Campus - Fall 2012 - Present
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Healthy Kids, Healthy Families has embarked on a new program, "STOP 2048®." This accredited curriculum at YES Prep Public School devotes three days of physical education classes and two days of health through nutrition classes. High school students from within the school are trained to teach the physical education and nutrition lessons so that they are prepared to lead their peers and younger classmates in and beyond the classroom. These student instructors are called mentors. Mentor led instruction helps to create a fun environment and increases the feeling of accessibility to the students. Body Mass Index and other behavioral changes are measured to determine the effectiveness of this program.
Sugar Grove Elementary School - Spring 2008
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine evaluated 72 educational vignettes ("Shorts") at Sugar Grove Elementary School, Houston TX. The shorts were produced by the Oliver Foundation, The OrganWise Guys Inc. and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the acceptability of the 72 educational vignettes of children who attend a private school. Teachers also evaluated the vignettes to determine their applicability to a school environment
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2007 - Fall 2009
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition embarked on a two year intervention study to track Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of 2nd grade students at four elementary schools in Fort Bend Independent School District. These students were followed through their 3rd grade year. The study was titled: An Evaluation of an Intensive Elementary School-based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program. A Project of the Oliver Foundation: The Oliver Kids Team in Fort Bend Independent School District.
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2005 - Spring 2011
The Oliver Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition embarked on a six-year study to track the Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and other health parameters of the 2005-2006 kindergarten class in Fort Bend Independent School District. Data gathering began in September 2005 and followed over 4,200 children. The study was titled: The Oliver Foundation Kids Team in Fort Bend Independent School District: A six-year longitudinal study of BMI trends among elementary school children in healthy school environments.
Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) - Fall 2004 - Spring 2011
In 2004 an educational program began in Fort Bend ISD that trained all elementary school educators on ways to incorporate healthy nutrition choices and increase physical activity in the classroom. This training came about through a grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Oliver Foundation, educating over 30,000 individuals.
Neighborhood Centers Inc. (NCI) Spring 2004 - Fall 2007
The Oliver Foundation provided funds to establish training at the four Houston area Neighborhood Centers, including the Charter School at Ripley House. The Oliver Foundation joined NCI in its mission to bring resources, education and connection to underserved neighborhoods.