The American Heart Association has honored nine students, schools and educators from across the country during a virtual awards ceremony on Nov. 20, recognizing their efforts to combat rising childhood obesity and promote heart and brain health in classrooms and communities. The ceremony, held annually, celebrates outstanding participants in the Association's nationwide in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge. These programs reach more than 10 million students in approximately 20,000 U.S. schools each year, teaching healthy habits and lifesaving skills such as Hands-Only CPR.
"Alarming health trends like rising childhood obesity are challenges we can work to overcome together, and we are proud to honor those who are doing just that," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "These students, educators and schools aren't just raising critical funds; they're inspiring healthier habits and creating lasting change in their communities." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every five American children and teens is obese, a 35% increase from 2000, and severe childhood obesity rates have nearly doubled in that time (source).
The 2025 honorees include Superintendent of the Year Dr. Nicole Wesley from Redondo Beach Unified School District in California; Outstanding American Heart Challenge Volunteer of the Year Rob Dorsett from Perryville High School in Maryland; Heart-Healthy School Award recipient Zachary Barrows from Summerlake Elementary in Florida; Outstanding Kids Heart Challenge Volunteer of the Year Marline Price from Parkview Baptist in Louisiana; Open-Door Award winner Natalie Wheeler from Community School District 22 in New York City; Outstanding Team of the Year Jon Curtis and Amy Wolske from Greenfield Elementary in Wisconsin; Principal of the Year Kacey Chong from Southern Highlands Preparatory School in Nevada; Specialist/Nurse of the Year Melissa Smith from Texas Region 16; and Young Heart Leadership Award recipient Riley Jimenez from Tuloso Midway Intermediate School in Texas.
These award recipients participated in either Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge during the 2024-25 school year and were nominated by Association staff. The programs are grounded in science and designed to improve physical and emotional well-being, support academic success, and help students feel confident in their ability to make a difference. Participants and their families learn how to eat smart, manage stress, avoid tobacco and vaping, recognize warning signs of a heart attack and stroke, and more. Students are also introduced to Hands-Only CPR, a lifesaving skill that school-aged children can learn and, by age 12, effectively use if they witness a sudden cardiac arrest.
To learn more about the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge and how to get involved, visit heart.org/jointhechallenge.
