About Us
History

HealthMPowers was the vision of two community leaders, Andy Isakson and Mary Johnson. These two parents were concerned about the plethora of health issues facing youth today. Dramatically rising rates in adolescent obesity, as well as unacceptably high rates of smoking, drug and alcohol use, ranked Georgia 41st nationwide in terms of the health and well-being of its children, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT 2003 Data Book. 

Originally, HealthMPowers was slated to be a Health Museum that provided interactive exhibits for children to learn about health in a unique way. After a feasibility study was conducted, a new idea evolved — take the program to schools rather than having students come to a museum. This would reduce the time out of the classroom and provide HealthMPowers with more time to interact with students and school staff. 

It was recognized that if behavior change was a goal, then it would be necessary for a student’s total environment to support the adoption of health-enhancing behaviors. Thus, the project expanded to include programming for school staff and families. 

To give Georgia’s children a chance at a healthy future, HealthMPowers, a nonprofit, Atlanta-based, in-school, health promotion initiative serving grades K–8, was founded in 1999 and incorporated in January 2000. Founding sponsors include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta Classic Foundation, The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Tenet Healthcare, Park Springs Retirement Community and Promina Health System. HealthMPowers works on the premise that creating a healthy future starts with making healthy choices today.