In This Issue

• HSC News: Rochelle Davis Highlights Need for School Food Funding
• Recent Blog Entries: New White House Chef; Snacks at School; Passive Houses and much more

HSC News

HSC’s Rochelle Davis Spotlights Need for Increased School Food Funding
Tribune Feature Highlights HSC Policy Goal

HSC’s founding executive director Rochelle Davis was featured in the Chicago Tribune’s Feb. 4 feature on the policy-change wishes that Chicago-area activists hope the Obama administration will grant. The story highlights Davis’ wish that the federal government adequately fund school food programs: "This includes increasing the federal reimbursement rate to $3.50 for lunch [it currently is $2.59], providing grants to schools for kitchen facilities that allow the preparation of healthful meals, grants for training of school-food workers, a commodity food program that supports health and support for farm-to-school programs that bring the freshest, healthiest produce to schools." This change in policy is part of HSC’s broader advocacy for a reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act that includes sufficient resources for schools to provide healthy food, opportunities for physical activity and strong wellness policies. To learn more, visit our Child Nutrition Act advocacy center. Ready to send your own school-food wish to President Obama? Add your name to HSC’s petition!

Recent Blog Entries

HSC's staff experts discuss news stories and new developments every week at the HSC Blog. Stop by and leave a question or comment. And while you're there, enter your email address for automatic delivery on days when a new blog entry has been posted. Here's a look at some of our recent posts:

New White House Chef Supports Healthy School Lunches| by Lindsay Muscato
Healthy school lunches have a new champion in Washington now that the Obamas' new chef, Sam Kass, reigns over the White House kitchen. A New York Times blog post spotlights Kass, a longtime chef and Chicagoan, and excerpts a talk last spring when he voiced strong support for reforming school lunches. Kass also gave a shout-out to Healthy Schools Campaign that day: HSC School Wellness Director Jean Saunders spoke at the same event, and Kass said HSC was "doing groundbreaking work in creating a healthy learning environment of which food is a central component." . . . Read more

New Study Validates Common-Sense Approach to Snacks at School| by Rochelle Davis
Over the past few years, a debate has been raging about the type of snacks that should be made available to students in a school environment. In the midst of this debate, it was reassuring to see that a common-sense approach to creating a school environment that promotes healthy eating has in fact been validated again. . . . Read more

Take Action on School Siting | by Mark Bishop
As the Senate debates the economic stimulus bill, we have an opportunity to make real change in the way schools are constructed and maintained. The current House bill requires that at least 25 percent of the money allocated for schools go toward sustainable construction. However, the bill doesn’t address the needs of siting. . . . Read more

Senators Push for Change in School Food | by Rochelle Davis
Thanks to Senator Richard Durbin and Senator Tom Harkin for taking the lead in bringing to the attention of President Obama and new U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack the need to increase funding for and streamline the administration of federal school food programs. The economic downturn has increased the number of students enrolling in these programs. . . . Read more

Lessons for Schools in Energy-Efficient "Passive Houses"| by Mark Bishop
Sometimes you read something that seems entirely common-sense while at the same time being completely new. In this article, the author wrote about the concept of a "passive house" that saves energy by requiring almost no heating. I wonder how this method might affect indoor air quality? How do you accomplish this type of design while taking into account the unique design of schools, which include gymnasiums, lunchrooms, science classrooms and commercial kitchens? . . . . Read more

"The best food can be the most healthy:" Students Design Healthy School Lunch| by Sara Klinzing
Last week, we had the honor of eating lunch with culinary students at Richards High School on the day that the healthy school lunch they designed was served to more than 20,000 students in 90 Chicago public high schools. It was a tasty, hearty reminder of the power of student engagement, and we were all excited to know that so many thousands of students around the city were enjoying a meal that their peers designed. Check out some of the comments that the student chefs on the winning team shared . . . . Read more

“Our boilers and furnaces are older than all of us. They're not the most efficient and don't have green efficiencies we'd like them to have today,”
- Donna DeSiato, superintendent of the East Syracuse-Minoa (NY) school district on renovations that will ultimately save money for the district by slashing energy costs, as quoted by WSYR-TV

Safer Pest Management for Illinois Schools | Feb. 25, April 14, April 23, and May 12 | More

The 2009 Sustainable Schools Symposium
| Feb. 27 | More

School Wellness Policies: Striving for Excellence Conferences | March 17, 18 and 19 | More [pdf]

School Nurse Advocacy Day | April 16 | More

Tweet, tweet!

You can follow HSC on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest news and conversations about school environmental health and wellness. Click here to check out our Twitter updates!

Fiskars Project Orange Thumb Grants
Deadline: Feb. 17 , 2009
Gives garden tools and materials such as plants, seeds, mulch, etc. to eligible gardening groups | More

Green Flag Schools Program Valentine's National Day of Action Toolkit
Toolkit includes tips on how to create, plan, and throw a successful event promoting green cleaning, especially in schools. It also includes fact sheets on why green cleaning is important and how to create your own green cleaning products. | More

Richard C. Bartlett Environmental
Education Award
Deadline: Feb. 13, 2009
For an outstanding teacher who has integrated environmental
education into daily education programs | More

Governor's Green Youth Award
Deadline: Mar. 20, 2009
For outstanding and innovative efforts of youth in Illinois who are working on environmental and conservation friendly
projects | More

National Preservation Awards
Deadline: Mar. 2, 2009
For historic preservation in school renovation or additions | More

Design a School Breakfast Superhero Contest
Deadline: Mar. 20, 2009
Challenging kids to draw and name their own school breakfast superhero and explain how their super powers will help kids ‘Power Up’ with school breakfast | More

Real Food Is...Video Contest
Deadline: Feb. 8, 2009
For outstanding and innovative efforts of youth in Illinois who are working on environmental and conservation friendly
projects | More