In This Issue

• HSC News: Heroes for Healthy Schools: Recognizing Minority Health Month; Cooking up Change Across the U.S.; Green Clean Awards
• Recent Blog Entries: Stephanie Izard, Green Cleaning, Brussels Sprouts and More . . .

HSC News

Office of Minority Health Shines National Spotlight on Chicago Programs
Join Us in Recognizing Minority Health Month

Healthy Schools Campaign is pleased to announce Heroes for Healthy Schools: Coming together for student wellness and achievement, a series of events to recognize Minority Health Month and focus attention on programs in Chicago that support student wellness and achievement. This exciting series is presented as a partnership of Healthy Schools Campaign, Chicago Public Schools Nutrition Support Services and the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Office of Minority Health has decided to highlight the efforts in Chicago as excellent examples of school-community partnerships supporting low-income minority students, particularly with regard to healthy school food and fitness.

This week includes engaging events ranging from Chef in the Classroom to after-school running programs, playground painting, and much more.

As a cornerstone of this week, HSC and the Office of Minority Health will host a special citywide forum on health disparities and education. At the forum, we will hear from national leaders about the latest research on the impact of health disparities on student achievement and will learn about what education leaders at the local and national level are doing to address these disparities and support student success. Speakers include:

• Charles Basch, Richard March Hoe Professor of Health Education at Columbia University Teachers College
• Gail Christopher, Vice President of Program Strategy for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Chicago Public Schools education policy leader
• U.S. Dept. of Education policy leader from Washington, DC

Cooking up Change National Healthy Cooking Contest
Challenges Students to Reinvent School Lunch
Contests Spotlight Student Talent in Cities Across the U.S.

Finalists in the 2010 national healthy cooking contest

What's your idea of the perfect school lunch? Imagine a healthy, tasty meal made within the constraints of school food service–designed by students whose peers will love it.

Students in cities across the U.S. are competing in local contests for a chance to travel to Washington, DC for the Cooking up Change National Healthy Cooking Contest finals this May. The contest challenges teams of high school students to create a healthful and delicious school lunch that meets nutrition standards based on the Institute of Medicine’s latest recommendations and can easily be replicated in a real school food service environment.

Check out stories about two of the winning teams:

• Read more about the St. Louis contest »
• Read more about the Winston-Salem contest »

Six teams of finalists selected from these preliminary rounds will present their lunches to a prestigious panel of judges at the contest finals in Washington, DC in May 2011!

This contest is generously sponsored by Chartwells School Dining Services, Cooking up Change Platinum Sponsor and Dannon, Cooking up Change Gold Sponsor. The contest is generously supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and hosted by the USDA.

Congratulations, Green Cleaning Award Winners!

HSC congratulates the most recent winners of the Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities! We're thrilled to honor the schools and districts that are creating a healthier learning and working environment for students, teachers and staff. Winners in the K-12/School Districts category include:

• Grand Award: East Meadow Union Free School District, Westbury, N.Y.

• Best New Program Award: Columbia Public Schools, Columbia, Mo.

• Honorable Mentions:
  Sonoma Country Day School, Santa Rosa, Calif.
  Green Chimneys School, Brewster, N.Y.
  Newark Public Schools, Newark, N.J.
  Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake City, Utah

School facility leaders at Grand Award winner East Meadow Union Free School District have worked hard to integrate the latest in green technology while enhancing communication between custodial staff and vendors; increasing energy efficiency and involving feedback from parents and teachers.

This annual award is presented by American School & University magazine, the Green Cleaning Network and HSC to recognize schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices in maintenance operations. The judging criteria are based on the steps outlined in our Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

To learn more about green cleaning or beginning a program at your school, check out HSC's free resources at www.greencleanschools.org!

Plus: Patrick Pizzo of East Meadow Union Free School District was featured in the Expert Voices series on HSC's blog! Check out this Q&A with Patrick Pizzo »

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:

Stephanie Izard on "Awesome" Chef in the Classroom Experience| by Tara Kennon
Top Chef’s Stephanie Izard has a message for Chicago culinary professionals thinking about getting involved in Chef in the Classroom, a day when chefs bring veggie tastings, cooking demonstrations and healthy eating lessons to kids across the city: "We’re all super busy and it’s not always easy to find time to get involved in things like this," she said. "But working with kids, seeing how happy it makes them and what a difference healthy eating makes in their lives -- you’ll see how awesome it is and be happy you made the time." . . . . Read More

Columbia Public Schools District Engages Community in Award-Winning Green Cleaning Program | by Alex Schaible
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Mike Jones, who won the award for Best New K-12 Program in the annual Green Cleaning Awards for the cleaning program he manages at the Columbia Public Schools District in Columbia, Missouri. Jones, the Assistant Director of Custodial Services, shared his efforts to build support for green cleaning among all members of the school community. Jones has identified key stakeholders to engage in a green cleaning program and discussed the steps he has taken to include each group in the district wide green cleaning program.. . . . Read more

Creating a Culture of Wellness with Healthy Rewards and Celebrations at School | by Lana Buseman
Eliminating sweet treats from your classroom or school may seem like a daunting task, especially as you seek ways to reward students for good behavior. Sweet treats and food-based celebrations have become ingrained in the culture of some schools, making the idea of healthy change seem even more challenging. As one teacher put it, "I don't want to feel like the bad guy in my school if I'm the only one not giving out candy or celebrating birthdays with cake."
But fun and healthy alternatives do exist! . . . . Read More

School Nurse Creates Trailblazers Project to Get All Students Moving| by Lana Buseman
Last week, we shared the story of school nurse Luisa Ramirez, whose creative strategies got students at Lily Lake Grade School excited about washing their hands. Today, we're excited to report on another fun and very successful initiative that Luisa leads: the Trailblazers project. Lily Lake Trailblazers is a project that encourages students to exercise by rewarding them . . . Read more

Friday Recipe: Balsamic and Dijon Brussels Sprouts! | by Lana Buseman
One vegetable that I don't think gets enough credit is the brussels sprout. I have always been a huge fan of the tiny cabbage look-a-likes, but I know they so often come out with a mushy texture and a funky odor that doesn't necessarily encourage consumption. . . . Read more

"I like gym in the morning, how, like, it refreshes me. I don't doze off a lot. So, I focus more on to the teacher, more on the lessons, more on everything."
~ High school student Nadlene Alnass on an innovative program that schedules a vigorous gym class immediately before students' most challenging courses, as quoted on PBS.org.

Citywide Forum on Health Disparities and Education | Chicago | April 6 | More

Making Good Food Work - Local and Regional Food Distribution Conference | Detroit | April 19 | More

Communities in Action National Asthma Forum | Washington, DC | June 9 | More

Sixth Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference | San Diego | June 28 | More

Community Food Security Coalition Conference | Oakland | Nov. 4 | More

Equity Summit: Healthy Communities, Strong Regions, A Prosperous America | Detroit | Nov. 8 | More

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

Tweet with HSC and get up-to-the-minute school health news!

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

2011 Sustainable Schools Symposium
April 1, 2011
Opportunity to network and learn about sustainable school facility planning and siting, green facilities management, sustainable renovation, environmental education, waste reduction, sustainable school transportation and more | More

Saucony Run For Good Grants
Deadline: June 13, 2011
For children's running and fitness programs | More

Finish Line Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Community-based athletic programs addressing active lifestyles and team building | More