In This Issue

• HSC News: Supporting Quality Physical Education and Activity in Schools
• Program Updates: School Health Council Training for Parents
• Recent Blog Entries: Do New Parents Have to Miss Out on Exercise?

HSC News

Supporting Quality Physical Education and Activity in Schools

Student wellness and physical activity are powerful contributors to children's academic achievement and social development. That's why HSC is joining the American Heart Association in championing the federal FIT Kids Act to support quality physical education and physical activity for school children.

To help improve children's health through school-based activity and education, we're encouraging our congressional leaders to sponsor this legislation, which will:

Hold schools accountable for offering regular physical education so that schools are able to make physical activity and education a priority.

Provide information to parents and the community about students' access to physical education and activity at school, including the amount of time available for physical education, the amount of space available for activity, and the percentage of teachers who are licensed or certified.

Ensure that children get the support they need to make healthy choices, by providing nutrition education and structured physical activity in communities as well as schools.

Support professional development for educators to promote children's healthy lifestyles and physical activity so they provide up-to-date information in a way that boosts students' ability to learn.

Fund research on effective ways to combat childhood obesity and encourage healthy living for all children.

Contact your U.S. Representatives today and ask them to sign on as a sponsor of the FIT Kids Act!

Celebrity Judges and Sponsors Sign on to Cooking up Change

This year's annual benefit, Cooking up Change, is shaping up to include an exciting team of sponsors and celebrity judges for our new healthy cooking contest!

Sponsors include Applegate Farms, School Health Corporation, American Institute of Architects, Canon Distributing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Organic Valley, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and United Supply; celebrity judges include Gwen Macsai, Carol Moseley Braun, and chefs Monique Hooker, Lisa Gershenson, and Mary McMahon.

We'll be introducing you to our judges and sponsors as the celebration draws closer!

We welcome new sponsors for Cooking up Change, as well as members of our host committee and donations for our live and silent auctions. Interested in learning more? Contact Claire Marcy at (312) 419-1810 or claire@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

For details or to purchase your tickets, click here.

Meet the HSC Marathon Team

HSC's team running the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is taking great steps forward on training and fundraising for this world-class athletic event. You can be part of this remarkable effort by supporting the HSC team for $26.20, one dollar per mile!

Make a contribution or meet some of the team members online at our marathon support page »

Who is running for HSC? Runners from around the country are making a difference for healthy schools! In each newsletter, we'll introduce another member of our team:

"As a passionate advocate for kids and physical activity and an avid runner, this is the marriage of my two loves! I'm a former elementary PE teacher and believe in the mission of Healthy Schools Campaign. This is a way for me to do something for myself and to do something good for kids and their fitness. Every little bit helps, so please show your support for kids (and me!) with your contribution." Karen Lux, Athens Ga. Support Karen's run »

If you are already registered for this race, you can still join our team. For more information, contact cheryl@healthyschoolscampaign.org  

Thanks to Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! for serving as our Honorary Team Captain, and to School Health Corporation for its generous support of our marathon team.

Program Updates

Parents United for Healthy Schools Plan School Health Council Training

Parents from Chicago's Latino and African-American communities will come together in August for an innovative training series focused on creating and leading school health councils. The councils provide an important venue through which parents can catalyze change for healthier schools.

The training is planned and presented by Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos Para Escuelas Saludables, a coalition of more than 30 independent parent organizations brought together by the Healthy Schools Campaign.

The coalition was instrumental in ensuring that the Chicago Public Schools wellness policy included ways for parents to be involved in shaping school health decisions, and is now following that advocacy with training that will build the specific knowledge and skills necessary to implement the policy at a school level.

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:

Do New Parents Have to Miss Out on Exercise?| by Mark Bishop
As a marathon runner and new dad of a 1-year-old boy, I could relate to this July 5th story in The New York Times about a University of Pittsburgh study that shows parenthood leads to less exercise. It's a difficult struggle to find balance in a hectic life, and, when you have a baby, it can get that much harder..... Read more

Not Quite Breathing Easy: Recognizing the Occupational Risks of Poor Indoor Air Quality| by Claris Olson
Many teachers will breathe a sigh of relief when they hear a Montgomery County Md. jury determined that a teacher who became ill from exposure to toxic mold in a portable classroom is entitled to worker’s compensation, as reported in this Washington Post article. Classifying this teachers' illness as an "occupational disease" is a major step forward in acknowledging the serious danger of poor indoor air quality in schools..... Read more

Good News for School Lunch?| by Jean Saunders
In a recent article about the School Nutrition Association's annual conference at McCormick Place in Chicago last week, "Catering to schools' desire to slim down," the Chicago Tribune reports that the “food service industry [is] eager to get piece of lucrative lunch business" and that the industry is courting schools with healthy new snack and lunch offerings..... Read more

Loud & Clear: The Importance of Classroom Acoustics in Academic Performance| by Mark Bishop
When we talk about healthy, high-performing schools, we often focus on energy efficiency and on factors that directly affect student health: indoor air quality, chemical exposures, environmentally sensitive building materials. But we can't forget the key mission of a school: to educate..... Read more

"I didn't become a green developer through being an environmentalist. It's less risky and more profitable to use green technologies. I see this as smart business."
- Real estate developer Bob Ansin on the green re-development of a textile mill in Lawrence, Mass., quoted on National Public Radio

American Journal of Community Psychology
"Introducing systems change in the schools: the case of school luncheons and vending machines" | HSC's Founding Executive Director Rochelle Davis co-authored this article, which illustrates work for systems change in the lunch program and food vending machines in Chicago Public Schools. | More

View all coverage »

Bike Smart and Walk Smart: Teacher's Resource Guide
Activities to enhance safety skills for students who walk or bike to school | More

Climate Classroom: What's Up With Global Warming?
Guidelines and resources for discussing global warming with school-aged children | More

Norman Foundation Environmental Justice Grants
Deadline: November 1
To link environmental issues with economic and social justice | More

Saucony Run for Good Grants
Deadline: October 7
For running and fitness programs for kids | More

Healthy Sprouts Awards to Support School and Youth Garden Programs
Deadline: October 15
To encourage the growth of health-focused youth gardens | More

Finish Line Youth Foundation
Deadline: Quarterly
For community-based access to athletics for kids | More