Heroes for Healthy Schools

Heroes for Healthy Schools: Coming together for student wellness and achievement is a weeklong series of events to celebrate Minority Health Month and focus attention on programs in Chicago that support student wellness and achievement. This exciting series is presented as a partnership of Healthy Schools Campaign, Chicago Public Schools Nutrition Support Services and the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Office of Minority Health has decided to highlight the efforts in Chicago as excellent examples of school-community partnerships supporting low-income minority students, particularly with regard to healthy school food and fitness.

As part of this effort, the Office of Minority Health is promoting the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge, a key component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program and a central focus of the Go for the Gold initiative put forth by Healthy Schools Campaign and Chicago Public Schools with the USDA Midwest and Illinois State Board of Education.

This exciting series of events is designed to raise awareness of health and education disparities, childhood obesity and the connection between health and learning. It will also provide the opportunity to learn about successful strategies to promote student health through school-based programs in low-income, minority communities.

During this week, the Office of Minority Health will convene its new Action Learning Collaborative Advisory Committee for an inaugural two-day meeting. The goal of the Action Learning Collaborative is to develop models for public-private partnerships that will help low-income, minority schools and school districts successfully meet the criteria of the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge.

To support this effort, 30 public health educators from around the country will come to Chicago to provide on-the-ground assistance with activities ranging from painting a playground to delivering resource kits to schools and much more.

Tonya Lewis Lee, author, producer, wife of Spike Lee and official spokesperson for the Office of Minority Health, will visit Chicago to celebrate Heroes for Healthy Schools. Specifically, she will read her new book to a class of kindergarten students, meet with school nurses and connect with Chicago advocates and leaders at events throughout the week.

Cornell McClellan, personal trainer to the Obama family and a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, will also visit Chicago to be part of Heroes for Healthy Schools. He will lead students in a fitness assembly following a press conference to announce the week’s activities.

We invite you to learn more on the calendar of events!