Childhood Obesity Prevention/Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards
The 2025 winners have been announced! Read the press release.
About the Awards
Since 2012, the Childhood Obesity Prevention/Environmental Health and Sustainability Awards — a partnership between The United States Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Association for a Healthy America (ABFHA) — has awarded nearly $6 million to cities of all sizes across the country to support programs that aim to improve the health and wellness of the nation’s children, families, neighborhoods, and cities.
A total of $745,000 in funding will be awarded to nine cities, in three population categories: Small City (population less than 75,000); Medium City (population 75,000-250,000) and Large City (population more than 250,000).
Large City
1st Place: $250,000
2nd Place: $50,000
3rd Place: $15,000
Medium City
1st Place: $175,000
2nd Place: $50,000
3rd Place: $15,000
Small City
1st Place: $125,000
2nd Place: $50,000
3rd Place: $15,000
All member cities of The United States Conference of Mayors are eligible to receive this award, including service cities. Each application must include a signed letter of support from the Mayor. There is no limit on the number of applications a Mayor can support or submit.
This award aims to support programs that engage community members and promote or stimulate behavior change, in the categories of: a) childhood obesity prevention; b) environmental health and sustainability or; c) a hybrid of both. Types of programs eligible for funding include but are not limited to:
Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiatives
- Increasing kids’ and families’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables, through the development of school and community gardens, and/or programs that support farmers’ markets and/or free or low-cost fruit and vegetable distribution in affected communities
- Cooking and nutrition programs that focus on teaching kids how to eat better and/or how to prepare healthy meals
- Programs that encourage kids to exercise in and out of school
- Programs that empower youth to engage in educating their peers and in the community decision-making process about issues that directly impact their health and wellbeing – for example, hiring and training youth advocates
Environmental Health and Sustainability Initiatives
- Strategies to encourage and improve residential recycling rates and reduce contamination
- Food waste reduction initiatives, composting and other waste/landfill diversion programs
- Beach/waterway and other types of community clean-up initiatives
- Projects that promote water conservation
- Projects that develop parks, and other open spaces
- Projects that promote alternative transportation options, such as bike paths, and/or enhance neighborhood walkability for residents
Hybrid Programs
- Programs that include strategies to reduce childhood obesity and also address environmental health and safety concerns.