In This Issue

• HSC News: Child Nutrition Action; Parent Leadership; Green Clean Webinar; Cooking up Change
• Policy Updates: Green Clean Summit
• Recent Blog Entries: Parents Win Local Election with Wellness Platform; Farm to School Legislation; Apps for Healthy Kids; A Spinach Kind of Morning and more

HSC News

This Week Critical for Child Nutrition Act
Urge Congress to Pass Reauthorization Before Aug. 7 Recess

The next week is critical for school food policy and resources. Committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed their versions of the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. Now, we need our elected leaders to pass these bills in time for the upcoming school year -- before Congress goes on recess Aug. 7.

Please take a moment to send a letter urging a timely reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

While these bills do not include adequate funding to fundamentally transform school food, they do include many health-promoting policy provisions and small increases in the reimbursements schools receive for the meals they provide.

In a world where cash-strapped schools are already losing money on their meal programs and growing numbers of families rely on school food, it is important that Congress reauthorize the bill in time for schools to receive increased meal reimbursements for the 2010-11 school year. A delayed reauthorization would put health-promoting policy provisions such as farm-to-school programs, limits on junk food in schools, and streamlined administration of the program at risk.

Please urge your Senators and Representative to help bring this bill to the floor for a vote before Congressional recess on Aug. 7. Click here to send a letter.

Thank you for being part of this important effort.

Free Webinar: Green Cleaning Award for Schools
Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010 · 2-3 p.m. EST · Cost: Free

The Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities offers a chance unlike any other to spotlight your green cleaning program at a national level. In addition to receiving the award itself, winners are profiled in a glossy, full-color two-page spread in American School & University magazine. Past winners have been profiled in The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools and a range of other publications.

The award offers a way to bring a new level of prestige and recognition to the hard work of implementing an effective green cleaning program. Schools may apply themselves and distributors may nominate the schools they work with.

Please join Healthy Schools Campaign and the Green Cleaning Network for a special webinar on the what, why and how-to of the Green Cleaning Award. Presenters will highlight best practices and practical tips for easily completing the application as well as background and history on the award. The goal of the webinar is to make it easy for schools and their partners to apply for the award.

Don’t miss this opportunity to shine a spotlight on your green cleaning program!

Parent Advocates Gather for 2010 Parents United for Healthy Schools Leadership Institute

This week, parents from across Chicago gathered to kick off the Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables 2010 Parent Leadership Institute.

This intensive four-day training brings together experienced parent advocates to build on skills developed in working for wellness in Chicago schools and communities. The participants will take part in training led by other parents who have successfully made changes in their schools as well as from elected officials and school leaders. The training includes a focus on leadership development, social justice, strategies for building a successful school wellness team, and knowledge of issues such as recess, school improvement plans and school food.

The training also includes an emphasis on empowering parents to be part of the city-wide Go for the Gold campaign to help schools meet the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge, the program that First Lady Michelle Obama is urging schools to join as part of the effort to reverse the trend in childhood obesity in a generation.

Parents United is a coalition that brings together parents, educators and community leaders from across Chicago. It was formed in July 2006 by Healthy Schools Campaign out of concern for the skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity in Chicago, particularly in low-income African American and Latino communities.

Stay posted for updates and photos from the 2010 Parent Leadership Institute!

Sponsorship Opportunities Available for Cooking up Change Chicago

Student chefs prepare for Cooking up Change Chicago

2010 has already been an exciting year for Cooking up Change! On March 2, HSC hosted a day of action in Washington, DC where student chefs of Cooking up Change presented the healthy school lunch they designed at a briefing on Capitol Hill. On May 17, high school and college students traveled from across the U.S. to compete in the final round of the first National Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest.

Now, we are thrilled to make our flagship Chicago benefit and healthy cooking contest our most dynamic Cooking up Change yet!

HSC is welcoming new and returning sponsors for our flagship Cooking up Change event in Chicago. The benefit and healthy cooking contest will take place Nov. 4 at Salvage One, an architectural showcase just west of downtown Chicago. The event combines the energy of a culinary competition and the fun of a celebration with the power of HSC’s mission.

To learn more about becoming a sponsor, click here or contact Sara Klinzing at 312-419-1810.

Policy Updates

2010 Green Clean Schools National Summit: Join Us!
Third Annual Summit to Build Coalitions, Develop Strategy

Concerned about healthy and clean schools for students and staff? Concerned about the environment? What to be part of a national movement to promote green cleaning in schools? Register today for the 2010 Green Clean Schools National Summit!

The summit will bring together national organizations, corporate leaders, state activists and concerned individuals to develop state-specific strategies based on lessons learned from previous successful efforts.

HSC also welcomes new sponsors for the 2010 summit.

Please join us in building on this national momentum to help ensure that all children and school staff benefit from health-promoting green clean schools policies.

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:

Parent Advocates Win Local School Council Election with Wellness Platform| by Rosa Ramirez
Simply stated, a Local School Council (LSC) in Chicago Public Schools gives parents and community a say in what happens in their neighborhood public school. It provides an official structure for parents and community to have a role in school operations and ensure that their voices are heard. At HSC, we were thrilled to hear about the newly elected Little Village Academy LSC. In the April 2010 LSC election, Little Village community residents elected six parents to the LSC who strongly believe that “healthy students are better learners.” . . . Read more

Parent Perspective: Successful Advocacy for Healthy School Lunch
Today we have a blog by HSC intern Christine Andersen. Christine’s first post, Student Perspective: Making the Change to Healthier School Food, described the transition to healthier food and the impact it had on students. In today’s post, Christine interviews her father Bill, who was instrumental in making the change at her school. Thanks to Bill for sharing this perspective! . . . Read More

From the Garden: Mint Lemonade | by Mark Bishop
I have strong summertime memories of lemonade from when I was a kid and want Henry to have similar memories as well. So as a special treat, I decided that on a hot afternoon we should make mint lemonade.. . . . Read more

As New Legislation Connects Schools and Farmers, Chicago Public Schools Seek Additional $500,000 of Local Produce | by Jean Saunders
Saturday at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn authorized legislation that will make it easier for schools to obtain locally-grown food and will contribute to the growth of farm-to-school programs across Illinois. This exciting new legislation comes just as Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality for Chicago Public Schools has issued a request asking Illinois farmers to contract for $500,000 of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. This is in addition to the $1.8 million in local farm products purchased last year . . . Read More

Apps for Healthy Kids: Exercising Aliens, Smashing Donuts . . . and Teaching Healthy Habits | by Mark Bishop
I am fascinated by the intersection of technology and health. On one hand, we want to limit screen time for all of us -- we are already way too sedentary. However, we can use technology to educate, engage and encourage decisions that promote health. A few months ago, the USDA launched a contest to encourage the development of health-promoting games: Apps for Healthy Kids. I loved the idea and I was looking forward to seeing what came out of it. Well, the entries are rolling in. . . . . Read more

Focus on Illinois Education: Gathering Budget Victims’ Impact Statements | by Jim Broadway
When Illinois legislators finally get around to generating the revenue for a realistic budget, probably around January, they may also decide whose pain most needs to be addressed. Folks affected by education program cuts will need to have spoken up. For example, Agriculture Education was zeroed out of the FY 2011 budget even though this low-cost line in the ISBE budget has helped nurture 26,000 future farmers in nearly 320 high schools and served up to a half-million Agriculture Literacy Coalition participants each year. Why don't I just write compelling articles about the value of each program that has fallen victim to the budget axe? I’d love to, really. It would please me greatly to spin out an ode to agriculture. But I don’t know beans about raising beans. That's why we need your help. . . . Read more

A Berry Summertime Treat: Pink Milk & Strawberry Popsicles | by Mark Bishop
Pink milk. I was at a two-year-old's birthday party the other day, and one of the parents came in and said, "I brought pink milk." I must admit that my stomach churned a bit. I couldn't imagine subjecting anyone's child to this product (recently made famous on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution reality show), with all its added sugars and dyes. But fortunately there is a healthy -- and very tasty -- alternative. . . . Read more

It's a Spinach Kind of Morning | by Mark Bishop
Raising kids and teaching them about healthy food isn't always easy. In our society, easy options are, well, easy. The other night we needed a quick meal for a few friends so we ordered pizza. Not a problem, but this morning when my four-year-old son Henry asked for leftover pizza for breakfast, that seemed like a problem. So I had to put my foot down. Nothing unusual in the world of raising a kid. But what happened about 30 minutes later cleared the morning pizza battle from my mind. . . . Read more

"The first job of our schools is to create a healthy environment where kids can thrive,"
~ Valerie Bassett, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, on a bill recently passed by the Mass. legislature to limit unhealthy food sold in schools, as quoted in The Boston Globe

Improving Indoor Air Quality and Academic Achievement| Webinar | Aug. 18 | More

Green Clean Schools National Summit | Washington, DC | Sept. 20 | More

Children First: Promoting Ecological Health for the Whole Child | San Francisco | Oct. 1 | More

Cooking up Change | Chicago | Nov. 4 | More

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium | Washington, DC | Nov. 4 | More

Hosting a relevant school health event for the HSC calendar? Let us know!

School Lunch Doc Offers Lesson in History and Food Politics
7.16.2010 | Gapers Block

School Lunch Doc Offers Lesson in History and Food Politics
7.16.2010 | WBEZ

Tweet with HSC!

Peaceful Pathways Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Matching grant programs for new, community-based projects that improve health and health care for vulnerable populations | More

Project Learning Tree Garden Grants
Deadline: Dec. 1 , 2010
Grants to teachers and students participating in PollinatorLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure. Apply for funding to create pollinator gardens in the schoolyard or community. | More

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Awards
Deadline: Oct. 8, 2010
To recognize schools and districts that have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving children's health by promoting good indoor air quality | More

Healthy Sprouts Award
Deadline: Oct. 1, 2010
To support schools or organizations that plan to garden in 2011 with at least 15 children. | More