HOST Members Look Back and Ahead

It's the start of a new year, and HOST members are both looking back at the best moments of 2015 and looking ahead to what 2016 will bring.

• Afterschool Alliance asks "What was your favorite #AfterschoolMoment of 2015?" They share theirs, including the publication of the "Kids on the Move" report, which recommended increasing awareness of HOST's Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards.
• The National AfterSchool Association tells us that one of its most popular articles of 2015 was the "AfterSchool Guide to Indoor Games."
• The National Recreation and Park Association predicts that in 2016, "A major U.S. city will pass a tax on fitness facilities or sugar sweetened beverages in 2016 to fund park and recreation programs designed to reduce health disparities based on income and zip code."
• The Safe Routes to School National Partnership looks ahead to what advocates should be focusing on now that Congress has passed (in December) a new transportation bill that supports Safe Routes to School, walking, and bicycling.
• Share Our Strength tells us of a new report released by the National Commission on Hunger, which states (among other things) that "the Summer Food Service Program created to replace school meals during the summer months is outdated and difficult to administer" and recommends "additional options for feeding hungry kids during the summer months." Share Our Strength asserts, "As Congress takes up the reauthorization of the summer meals programs this year ... these recommendations should be given the highest of priority."