Honoring 25 Years of Impact—and Stepping Boldly Into a Future Where All Children are Nourished and Active

As our 25th anniversary year comes to a close, we find ourselves filled with deep gratitude, pride, and renewed commitment. Anniversaries invite reflection, but far from looking back, it has been a living celebration of where we began, who we are today, and, most importantly, where we are headed.

For 25 years, HealthMPowers has partnered with schools, families, youth, and communities across Georgia to champion healthy habits and transform the environments where children live, learn and play. What began as a small, passionate effort from two parents has grown into a statewide organization rooted in evidence, powered by youth leadership, and driven by the belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. This anniversary year gave us a chance to honor that journey in meaningful, tangible ways.

Our story is built on relationships with the schools and educators that welcomed us into their classrooms and learning environments, with partners who believed in our mission, and with youth whose voices have shaped our work from the very beginning. To honor those roots, we focused on creating something lasting.

The legacy garden project at Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School was a powerful expression of that commitment. More than a physical space, the garden symbolizes growth, nourishment, and continuity. It reflects the idea that when we invest in children and communities, we plant seeds that continue to flourish long after the initial effort. Just as our earliest programs laid the groundwork for what HealthMPowers would become, the garden stands as a living reminder that our work is meant to endure.

Celebrating Our Present: Movement, Momentum, and Community

If the past is our foundation, the present is defined by momentum. Throughout this anniversary year, we invited our community to celebrate not by standing still, but by moving together, literally and figuratively.

The 25 Million Minutes campaign embodied that spirit. By challenging individuals, families, schools, and organizations to collectively move 25 million minutes, we turned an anniversary into a shared action. Every step, stretch, dance, and moment of movement became part of something larger-a visible reminder that health is built day by day, choice by choice, and together.

The campaign reflected who we are today: motivated by fun, partner and community-centered, and focused on practical, accessible ways to improve health. It also reinforced an essential truth that has guided our work for decades—healthy change doesn’t require perfection or expensive solutions. It starts with participation, consistency, and the belief that small actions add up to meaningful impact. A special thanks to our partners at the American Heart Association and NFL Play 60 for supporting the campaign!

Celebrating Our Future: Advocacy, Youth Voice, and Systems Change

The culmination of our anniversary year came with our Day at the state Capitol, a moment that powerfully connected our mission to the broader systems that shape children’s lives. Standing in the halls of the Georgia Capitol, alongside partners and advocates, we were reminded that the work of HealthMPowers extends beyond programs-it reaches into policy, leadership, and long-term change.-term change. The adoption of a formal House resolution honoring HealthMPowers’ 25 years of service was both humbling and affirming. It recognized the longevity of the organization and the importance of child and youth health as a priority for our state. For us, this moment was not an endpoint-it was a signal of responsibility. Recognition brings with it the charge to continue showing up, speaking out, and advocating for the health and wellbeing of future generations.

Just as importantly, the Day at the Capitol underscored our commitment to youth voice. Young people are not just beneficiaries of our work; they are leaders, advocates, and changemakers. As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to equipping youth with the skills, confidence, and platforms they need to shape healthier communities and influence the decisions that affect their lives.

“This taught me that change can take place in seemingly ‘simple’ ways. Your voice can help change a system—not only addressing one person’s concern. Learn. Testify. Start. Explore.”

— Pratima Yellayi, Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair

Carrying 25 Years Forward

This anniversary year has been a celebration but also a bridge connecting the vision that launched HealthMPowers with the bold future we are building together. We end our 25th year grounded in gratitude for our founders, staff, board, partners, funders, educators, and, above all, the young people who inspire us every day. We also end it with clarity and purpose. The challenges facing child and youth health are complex, but our commitment is unwavering.

Looking Ahead: A New Theory of Change for the Next 25 Years

As we turn the page on our 25th anniversary year, we are doing so with clarity about what the future requires and confidence in our role within it. The next chapter of HealthMPowers will be guided by an evolved theory of change that reflects both what we have learned over the past two and a half decades and what children, youth, and communities need now.

At the heart of this evolution is a deeper investment in leadership development. We know that sustainable health change does not happen to communities; it happens with them. In the years ahead, HealthMPowers will focus more intentionally on building leadership capacity among youth health leaders, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and agency to influence systems, shape solutions, and lead change in their schools and communities.

Youth voice has always been central to our work. Our future builds on that foundation by strengthening pathways for young people to move from participants to advocates, from learners to leaders. By developing leadership capacity in youth, we are investing in long-term impact that extends far beyond any single program or intervention.-term impact that extends far beyond any single program or intervention. Alongside this shift, we are also expanding how we define what it means to be nourished and active. While physical activity and nutrition remain core pillars of our mission, we recognize that health is multidimensional. To truly support young people today, and prepare them for the future, we must address the broader conditions that influence wellbeing, including mental wellness, belonging, safety, and access to opportunity. This expanded definition allows us to meet young people where they are and respond to the realities they face. It strengthens our ability to support whole-child health while remaining grounded in evidence-based practice and community partnership.

As we look ahead, our commitment is clear: to continue evolving, listening, and leading with purpose. The garden we planted, the minutes we moved, and the voices we elevated at the Capitol all point toward the same future—one where youth are empowered as leaders, health is defined holistically, and communities are equipped to thrive.

The next 25 years begin now.