Child Nutrition Act Offers Opportunity to Reshape Future of School Food
Public Input Can Shape Important Legislation
The Child Nutrition Act – a major piece of federal legislation that, along with the farm bill, essentially determines school food policy and resources – will begin reauthorization in 2009. As that time quickly approaches, the USDA is beginning to seek input from members of the school community for help in shaping the act’s priorities.
This reauthorization offers a tremendous opportunity to create a future for school food in which fresh, healthy meals are the norm and all children have access to the type of comprehensive nutrition education that creates healthy habits for a lifetime.
The 2004 reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act took great strides forward in requiring all school districts to adopt wellness policies. The 2009 reauthorization now offers the opportunity to strengthen this requirement by increasing awareness and offering resources for implementation.
Healthy Schools Campaign – along with our allies around the country – supports a Child Nutrition Act that address several key components of school wellness:
School Meals: Increase funding for school meals (taking into account rising food costs), while providing incentives for schools to offer healthier foods and increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Improve nutrition standards for school meals so that the standards align with the most recent dietary guidelines, and establish standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals programs, such as foods sold at snack bars and cafeteria a la carte lines.
Local Wellness Policies: Raise awareness and engagement among school leaders, parents and community on the implementation of wellness policies at a school level, and provide technical assistance in making the policies reality.
Nutrition Education: Provide resources to facilitate delivery of nutrition education programs, including those focused on school gardens and farm-to-school initiatives.
To gather public input, the USDA is holding listening sessions in cities around the U.S. and is accepting written comments through Oct. 2008.
Stay posted for updates and opportunities to take action on this key piece of legislation.
Federal Legislation Highlights Broad Support for Green Schools
21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act Sails Through House
A new bill passed by the House of Representatives in June by a vote of 250-150 highlights broad support for funding healthy, environmentally responsible school building.
The bill would provide school districts nationwide with $6.4 billion in fiscal year 2009 to modernize and renovate school buildings -- improving schools’ energy efficiency, bringing schools closer to green building standards, and promoting a healthier environment for students and teachers.
The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act marks the first time ever that lawmakers have put green facilities front-and-center, and would mark the first time since 2001 that schools receive meaningful funding to upgrade facilities.
Though the bill’s future is uncertain (it now faces a vote in the Senate and a possible presidential veto), the legislation illustrates growing support for this issue and lays the groundwork for more green schools legislation next year.
HSC executive director Rochelle Davis says that among the act’s many benefits, “this funding would help divert scare educational dollars from operations to education.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy-efficient schools can reduce their energy usage by 25 percent, creating a nationwide savings of $1.25 billion and 23 million fewer tons of carbon emissions.
By 2013, 90 percent of this act’s funding would be directed toward green projects, ensuring that benefits keep rippling through school districts as they improve indoor air quality and use greener construction methods.
Meet the HSC Marathon Team
HSC's team running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is taking great steps forward on training and fundraising for this world-class athletic event. You can be part of this remarkable effort by joining or supporting the HSC team!
Although open registration for the marathon has closed, HSC has a limited number of guaranteed charity bibs for the race. (The last day to register for one of these bibs is Monday, June 23!) All team members will be entered to win a Garmin or an iPod. For more information, contact Allison Krass at 312-560-4994.
Join the team or make a contribution »
Who is running for HSC? Runners from around the country are making a difference for healthy schools! In each newsletter, we'll introduce another member of our team:
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"I ran my first marathon this spring, the National Marathon in March in Washington, D.C. I loved the experience, the training, the race, the support, everything. I knew I wanted to do a few more - and Chicago was top on my list. Then I made the decision to attend the Univ. of Chicago for my Masters in Public Policy.
I am hoping to study and focus my work on children's obesity and wellness issues, and health and wellness in schools and communities. I was researching a few organizations local to Chicago when I came across the Healthy Schools Campaign, and their ad for a marathon team. It was too good to be true, I could combine two passions into one event.
I am so excited to run the Chicago marathon, and to be able to do so while raising money for such a cool organization is so motivating. My family and friends know how important both running and my passion for children's health are to me, and asking them to help contribute to this cause has been easy for me to do. I check my fundraising website every Saturday morning before I head out for my long run, and it is my main source of motivation for my runs."
Colleen O'Reilly, Washington D.C.
Support Colleen's run » |
Thanks to Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! for serving as our Honorary Team Captain.
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