Parents United for Healthy Schools Leaders Spotlighted in Book & National Campaign
Two leaders from HSC’s Parents United for Healthy Schools – HSC project coordinator Jovita Flores and parent leader Rosa Guzman – are in the spotlight as their inspirational stories of personal healthy change have been featured in the book Be Well.
The book and accompanying campaign, presented by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, share "messages from moms on living healthier lives" by profiling 15 inspirational women around the nation whose remarkable stories include lessons and tips for parents everywhere.
See Rosa’s story »
See Jovita’s story »
Read about more parents making change in Chicago's Latino communities » Jovita and Rosa are leaders in the effort to bring increased physical activity and healthy food to schools in Chicago’s Latino and African-American communities.
Jovita, who taught the neighborhood nutrition class that first inspired Rosa to begin making healthy changes, provides the training and ongoing guidance that helps parents create effective school wellness teams and begin making changes such as offering walking school buses, food education or after-school physical activity programs. She also works closely on a city-wide effort to bring back recess to Chicago Public Schools.
Rosa, whose story of personal transformation has inspired parents throughout her neighborhood and beyond to make changes and become advocates for wellness at school, continues to speak up for healthy food and physical activity at school and in the community. She provides guidance to neighbors and other parents seeking to make change, offering her tips for modifying traditional recipes or fitting exercise (often walking or dancing) into a busy schedule.
"We’re thrilled to congratulate Jovita and Rosa on the recognition they’ve received as part of this national project," said HSC executive director Rochelle Davis. "Their work is truly an inspiration and has made a tremendous impact on parents, children and schools across Chicago. We’re so pleased that their stories can now offer inspiration to more parents across the country."
Read more about the Be Well book »
Tell us your story about making healthy change »
Plus: Jovita and Rosa were both recently quoted in a Chicago Tribune story on mothers who champion health
Help HSC Meet the $25,000 Challenge!
HSC is excited to announce a $25,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor! To meet the challenge, we must raise $25,000 in gifts from new donors, or gifts in higher amounts from previous donors.
This is an amazing opportunity to leverage $50,000 in crucial support for our work. Please consider making a first-time gift to support HSC, increasing your annual gift, making a personal gift if you usually give through your company, and asking your friends, family and colleagues to support the organization.
Your gift will help us do the important work of making schools healthier places in which to learn and work.
Cooking up Change 2009
Photos, Press and the Winning Moment!
Student chefs from Tilden high school accept their first place trophy
HSC and the winning student chefs from the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest are celebrating the exciting win and working with Cooking up Change gold sponsor Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality to make preparations for serving the tasty meal of chicken jambalaya, jalapeño cornbread and cucumber salad in high schools across the city on Jan. 27, 2010.
Congratulations to the winning team and all the amazing student chefs!
Check out video of the winning moment:
View photos from Cooking up Change:
See press coverage of Cooking up Change, including a detailed 4-minute segment from Univision news spotlighting the returning champions from Richards high school:
Learn more at www.cookinupchange.org.
HSC and Austin-Wide Parent Network Honored for Environmental Justice Project
HSC founding executive director Rochelle Davis and parent leaders from the Austin-Wide Parent Network accept Illinois Environmental Council award
The Illinois Environmental Council presented its Environmental Leadership Award to Healthy Schools Campaign and the Austin-Wide Parent Network for work on the Austin Environmental Health and Justice Project, a two-year EPA-funded initiative to educate parents, teachers, administrators, custodians, nurses and students about how the school environment affects their health.
Parents and grandparents who took part in the project explained that they decided to work on the it because of their concerns about the growing rates of asthma in the African-American community, and the health hazards that exist in older, deteriorating schools. The number of children suffering from asthma in many of Chicago’s African American communities is more than double the national average. In North Lawndale, for example, more than 23 percent of children suffer from asthma, compared to a national average of 12 percent.
Congratulations to the parents of Austin for this honor – and for the impressive work to make schools healthier places for all children.
Plus: Read the poem Earth Mothers, which parent organizer Tracy Occomy wrote about the project
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