What began as an after-school program at this Oklahoma City elementary school turned into the state’s first elementary charter school. Adopted by INTEGRIS, the school now offers a daily after-school program and a six-week summer program. Other additions included a full-time physician’s assistant so students could receive physicals and immunizations.

This school was also one of the Oklahoma’s first to provide an obesity risk assessment for students. Parents are asked to complete a one-page survey, included with the student’s enrollment packet, that tracks obesity patterns based on height, weight and a number of social factors – including family income and alcohol and tobacco use in the home.

This program was introduced four years ago and, at that time, found that 27.8% of the school’s students were at risk for obesity. The national average then was 20.5%.

Following those results, the school began offering some exercise programs – including an early morning walking program. The next year, officials noted a 7% drop in at-risk-for-obesity students. The school’s most recent round of screening found that the obesity risk percentage had dropped to 18.6%, a figure below the national average.

Today at Western Village, you’ll see children competing on jump rope teams and hip-hop dance troupes –– and in the process, combating obesity. Additional school programs have been tailored to meet individual needs. And nearly one-third of the school’s 330 students participate in after-school activities.

As Principal Peggy Brinson noted, "We're not just about educating children, but about doing other things to improve their lives. If they don't come here physically and mentally healthy, they won't learn anything."