Changing the Future of School Food & Fitness
HSC Briefing Highlights Community Advocates, National Leaders for School Wellness
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| Janey Thornton, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services at the USDA, watches with Louise Esaian, Logistics Officer for school food at Chicago Public Schools, as children try fresh veggies in a food education class at McCormick School |
For schoolchildren and wellness advocates around the nation, it is truly a new day. HSC’s efforts to bring healthy food and physical activity to Chicago schoolchildren have gained new momentum as national policymakers and corporate leaders increasingly prioritize children’s health and environmental stewardship. On May 28, HSC hosted a breakfast briefing on the future of school food and fitness, highlighting national leaders and community advocates who are pioneering efforts to bring good food and physical activity to schools.
At HSC, we believe that all members of the school community must have a voice in the decisions that affect the school environment. The speakers at this briefing reflect the diversity of roles and perspectives necessary to create real change for school health.
- Rochelle Davis, HSC founding executive director, shared HSC’s strategy and goals, particularly in light of the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act
- Noemi Avalos, a parent leader, shared her experience creating a school wellness team
- Miriam Virto of the UIC Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion led the group in a physical activity break
- Saria Lofton, a school nurse in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), shared her experience applying the skills she gained in HSC’s school nurse leadership program
- Bob Bloomer, regional vice president of Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, shared the work he is doing to make locally-procured vegetables a regular part of the CPS school meal program
- Steve McDonnell, founder and CEO of Applegate Farms, shared his company’s vision for changing our nation’s food system
- Janey Thornton, Ph.D., SNS, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services at the USDA shared her plans for addressing the dual challenges of childhood hunger and childhood obesity through a healthy school meals program.
Under Secretary Thornton then accompanied HSC and local wellness leaders on a tour of McCormick School, which features a fresh salad bar and innovative nutrition education for students. The event and the school tour emphasized the power of bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to create change at all levels of the school food environment.
“We are all accountable,” said Thornton. “It’s time we all start to work together to change society.”
Plus: Check out photos of the briefing and download Changing the Future of School Food & Fitness: Connecting for Wellness in Chicago and Beyond [pdf], HSC’s report on our school wellness efforts that we released at the briefing.
Support HSC, Get Great Gifts & Prizes
Place a Bid in HSC's Online Auction!
Help HSC raise funds for programs that promote health and wellness for kids! We've put together an online auction full of great items ready for bidding, with all proceeds going to support HSC's work:
Or find other great deals on art, theater tickets, home and lawn care, and more. No matter what you choose to bid on, you'll be ensuring that HSC can continue our work to make schools healthier places for everyone to learn and work.
Check out the full list of items and current bids!
Remember: The auction closes on June 15 - place your bids today!
Congratulations to the Fresh Voices Contest Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the Fresh Voices for Fresh Choices contest sponsored by HSC and Applegate Farms! We received more than 100 fabulous entries and were thrilled with the great stories and fun drawings that students, parents and school leaders shared. In the weeks ahead, we’ll share some of the winning entries.
This week, we’re pleased to spotlight the HSC Advocate Winner: Christy Girder, a school nurse in Mount Hermon, Ky.
Christy’s entry, “History doesn't always repeat itself,” stood out with a warm memory of school lunch, a powerful message about the ways our school food system has changed, and a hint of the promise that school food holds to carry on traditions and teach children about simple, healthy eating.
“What this story tells us is that healthy food is real food,” said Lisa Gershenson, a member of the judging panel.
“It’s not overly processed, not complicated – it’s something simple and healthy and affordable,” said Gina Asoudegan of Applegate Farms, also a contest judge.
Congratulations to Christy and to everyone who shared their wonderful memories of school food!
History doesn't always repeat itself
by Christy Girder |
I remember when I first started school my mom would tell me how good the school lunches were. She told me she would never forget pinto bean day. She loved the beans, cornbread, stew tomatoes and especially the peanut butter cake. We would talk about this special lunch routinely and, lo and behold, this too became my favorite lunch. I would love pinto bean day and all the fixings to come with it. It was always on Thursday and my mom would laugh and tell me to hide her some cake in my pocket. So now I am the mom and I have children going to school and I have told them how much I loved pinto bean day. I have told them all the fixings that came with it and the laughs me and my mom would share about it but the problem is there is no more pinto bean day. They don't get the beans with all the fixings - instead they get some convenience food. So the tradition is gone, no more reminiscing about the pinto beans, no more trying to hide peanut butter cake in your pocket.
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The Fresh Voices contest was part of a campaign by Healthy Schools Campaign and Applegate Farms to raise awareness of important school food issues, particularly in connection to the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. To take action in support of fresh, healthy school food, please visit our Child Nutrition Act action center!
HSC Invites Submissions for Innovation Showcase
In partnership with American School & University and the Association of School Business Officials International
HSC is launching a nationwide search for new and innovative products and services that help create healthier school environments. The search focuses on two areas: the environmental impact of a school, and the way that a school supports healthy eating and physical activity for students.
The Innovation Showcase is presented in collaboration with American School & University and the Association of School Business Officials International.
Companies from all corners of the marketplace are invited to share their unique innovations that focus on school wellness or the environment.
The goal of the Innovation Showcase is to provide HSC’s extensive network of school stakeholders, parents and community members with up-to-date information on unique technologies, strategies, equipment and supplies that help create healthier school - with a focus on wellness or the environment. |
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:
Do Healthy Eating Habits Really Start at Home?
| by Mark Bishop
Conventional wisdom tells us that to change the eating habits of children, you need to get to the parents. (And I hope that's true, because I'm working hard with my kid.) We talk to people in schools and hear all the time that they can't get their students to try XXXX (fill in the blank here with your favorite veggie, lean meat, or soy-based vegan product) because the kids never had it at home. Schools can't change because they need parents to change first! But a recent study is challenging this notion. . . . Read more
Speaking up for Recess in Chicago Public Schools | by Amanda Chablani, HSC policy intern
On May 7, I boarded a bus to Springfield, Ill. with 160 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students and parents in an effort to convince legislators to bring recess back to CPS. I only learned of the lobby day the week before; my shocked reaction, “There’s no recess?!” illustrated my ignorance in the matter. I decided to do a bit of research to learn more . . . . Read more
Changing the Future of School Food: Jesse Ruiz, Chair, Illinois State Board of Education
| by Tara Kennon
One of the reasons that healthy school food is so important is because, very simply, it helps students learn. Schools have every reason to provide meals that give students the energy they need to study and the nutrition they need to focus on their schoolwork. That’s why it was so significant to hear Jesse Ruiz, Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education, lend his voice to the call for more resources for healthier school food. . . . Read more
Statement Calls on Pediatricians to Advocate for Environments that Support Physical Activity | by Mark Bishop
My son's three year checkup is coming up soon and when I see his pediatrician, I'm interested in talking about the new policy statement in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics about how the built environment can support healthy and active lifestyles.
What's really interesting to me are the recommendations, which fall into two categories: policy recommendations and pediatrician recommendations. . . . Read more
High-Fives, Maryland: Green Cleaning in Schools Now Required | by Lindsay Muscato
Welcome, Maryland, to the ranks of states requiring green cleaning in schools! Governor Martin O'Malley signed the law in May, making Maryland the third U.S. state to enact such a requirement. Delegate Nic Kipke, one of the sponsors of the bill, said cost was one of the motivators, reinforcing the benefits for schools around the country that may be hesitant to make the switch during lean economic times. . . . Read more
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