Active Plus

The Project

Active Plus is a New York City-based non-profit dedicated to improving physical and mental health and wellness among youth within at-risk local communities. Since 2015, we have designed and delivered engaging programming focused on sports & fitness, nutrition education, and social and emotional development.  Active Plus strives to improve physical and emotional health through athletic and nutritional instruction, and its work on behalf of at-risk youth has never been more urgent than it is today. If we don’t act now, life-threatening health issues will continue to plague New York City’s children and teens well after the COVID-19 outbreak slows. By catering our programs to New York’s most vulnerable communities (virtually for now and in-person once it’s safe to do so), Active Plus can truly save lives. 

One of our most impactful programs is an eight-hour educational and interactive clinic spread over two days, held one weekend per month, and catered toward local youth aged 10-18 from low-to-moderate-income family backgrounds. The money raised through this crowdfunding campaign will be used to expand access to this popular program by enabling us to run the clinic on a weekly, rather than monthly, basis. These funds will also be used to secure a permit for a safe venue for the weekend program over the next two years.

The Active Plus weekend program funded through this campaign will educate and empower participants in three core areas:

1.Sports & Fitness: Participants will learn rules and techniques associated with a range of traditional and non-traditional sports, including basketball, softball, dance, boxing, and yoga, among many others.

2. Nutrition: Participants and their parents will learn how to make healthy (and tasty!) meals through engaging health and nutrition classes.

3. Life & Leadership: Participants will learn to translate lessons from sports to the rest of their life through workshops focused on hygiene, mental health, skin cancer prevention, college & career exploration, and much more.

The Steps

1. Obtain permit from The Bloomingdale School (PS 145) in the Upper West Side to provide a safe facility for weekend programs.
2. Secure paid staff and volunteers, including a Program Director, Fitness Instructor, Cooking Instructor, and Group Leaders, among others.
3. Secure guest speakers and presenters.
4. Finalize calendar & curriculum, including contingencies for COVID-19 and/or other public health restrictions.
5. Procure necessary sports, fitness, and cooking equipment.
6. Increase and ensure awareness of the program within local communities through extensive outreach, including discussions with current participants in other Active Plus programs, presentations at local schools, partnerships with local coaches and sports teams, social media and email campaigns, and website notices.

The Why?

NYC’s vulnerable youth populations need our help. Roughly 40% of public school children age 14 or younger in the city are overweight or obese, with minority and low-income youth disproportionately affected. These early-life issues also have harmful lasting effects: over half of NYC adults are currently considered overweight or obese, which can ultimately lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or any number of potentially fatal health issues.  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous suffering for families across the globe, and there are few communities that have been hurt worse than low-income areas of New York City. Children and teens from these backgrounds have been hit hard -- directly by COVID-19 itself but also indirectly through the adverse effects of stay-at-home orders and quarantining.

With the funds raised through this campaign, Active Plus can address NYC’s obesity epidemic at its source by providing a safe space to educate youth from vulnerable NYC communities about fitness, nutrition, and healthy living.

Active Plus believes in going beyond basic youth sports classes to provide professional fitness and nutrition instruction alongside specialized sessions and guest speakers focused on mental toughness, leadership skills, self-esteem, and overall social development. We strive to both help NYC youth improve their immediate health outcomes and reduce damaging structural inequalities -- such as lack of access to health & wellness education -- that threaten their long-term well-being. 

For 9 months, our weekend clinic has provided engaging and constructive activities for children in NYC from at-risk backgrounds while also equipping participants (and their parents) with the tools and techniques to lead more active, healthy, and empowered lives. With your support, we at Active Plus can improve the quality and scope of our weekend classes and help a wider range of children and families than ever before.

obéFORWARD presents a 90 minute live mashup class to benefit Active Plus

Taught by obé instructors:
Walter Kemp
Michelle Brugal
Eve Chrust

When: Monday 6/8 @ 7pm-8:30pm
Where: www.obefitness.com and the obé app 

Donate now until Monday 6/8 @ 11pm EST and tune in LIVE. 

obé will match donations made by its members to Active Plus, in an aggregate amount of up to $10,000.   



Active Plus  is an organization established to educate children by disseminating information about healthy lifestyle choices including, but not limited to, healthy food preparations, the importance of exercise, and the availability of proper health care' to stimulate, foster, encourage and promote the exchange of ideas, information and opinions on contemporary issues affecting personal health. Active Plus is not just a non-profit organization tackling a community need, but an organization in the field of emergency response. Vulnerable communities, specifically in NYC are being denied access to proper nutrition and fitness due to socio-economic status, lack of education, and lack of resources, resulting in health-related illnesses leading to death.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous suffering for families across the globe, and there are few communities that have been hurt worse than low-income areas of New York City. Children and teens from these backgrounds have been hit hard - directly by COVID-19 itself but also indirectly through the adverse effects of stay-at-home orders and quarantining. If we don't act now, life-threatening health issues will continue to plague New York City's children and teens well after the COVID-19 outbreak slows. By catering our programs to New York's most vulnerable communities (virtually for now and in-person once it's safe to do so), Active Plus can truly save lives.