Launched by Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) in 2007, LiveWell Kids is a comprehensive school well-being program developed specifically for elementary school students. All kindergarten through fifth grade students in Redondo Beach Unified School District and Hermosa Beach City School District currently receive the program.
LiveWell Kids was originally created in response to a high rate of obesity – 20 percent in 2007 among Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) elementary school students. Since the program’s inception there has been a 70.5% decline in RBUSD student obesity.
The LiveWell Kids program includes both garden and nutrition education. It is comprised of six interactive lessons focused on educating students about the process and benefits of growing their own food, improving nutritional knowledge and making healthy eating choices. All lessons are delivered in the fresh air of the school gardens by trained volunteers. Funded by BCHD, the gardens are maintained by a dedicated group of Garden Angel volunteers.
2023-2024 Lessons
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
- Lesson 2: Planting Cool-Season Crops & Food Groups
- Food Groups Poster
- Food Group Friends
- Food Group Addendum
- MyPlate
- What Am I?
- Snack of Champions
- MyPlate Quiz Show
Lesson 3 – Coming in January 2023!
Lesson 4 – Coming in January 2023!
Lesson 5 – Coming in March 2024!
Lesson 6 – Coming in March 2024!
Try some of these healthy and delicious LiveWell Kids Recipes!
Additional Volunteer Materials:
Garden Resources:
- Composting tips and resources
- Learn how to create a sustainable yard at Be Water Wise
- The American Horticultural Society
- Find answers to gardening questions from a reputable educational source
- South Coast Botanical Garden
- The Story of Stuff
Nutrition Resources:
- Information about healthy eating from MyPlate
- MyPlate Kitchen Recipes
- CDC child nutrition facts and resources
- CDC water intake facts
- CDC physical activity facts
- How to enjoy more fruits and vegetables from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- TedX video: Marketing food to children
- Ted Talk video: Teach every child about food by Jamie Oliver
Childhood Obesity Decline in Redondo Beach
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in partnership with Beach Cities Health District. Recent Trends in Childhood Obesity Prevalence in the Redondo Beach Unified School District: A Case Study; June 2020.
LiveWell Kids Program Reports
- 2022-2023 School District Health Report
- UCLA Center for Health Policy Research 2015
- UCLA Center for Health Policy Research 2014
Education Standards
LiveWell Kids aligns with the [1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula using the 2021 Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), [2] California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and [3] Common Core State Standards (CCSS). For more information, please view our Nutrition and Garden Standards.
For more information, please contact:
Mishell Balzer
School Health Programs Coordinator, Garden
Mishell.Balzer@bchd.org
310-374-3426 ext. 8264
Tami Kachel, MPH
School Health Programs Coordinator, Nutrition
Tami.Kachel@bchd.org
310-374-3426 ext. 8354
Garden Angel volunteers maintain the school gardens. Interested in becoming a Garden Angel volunteer for the LiveWell Kids Program? Apply today!
