In This Issue

• HSC News: Green Clean Schools Act Becomes Law in Illinois; New Judges and Sponsors for Cooking up Change
• Program Updates: Training Prepares Parents to Create and Sustain School Health Councils
• Recent Blog Entries: Alarming Conditions, Eye-Opening Lessons in School Building Tour

HSC News

Green Clean Schools Act Becomes Law in Illinois; Other States Plan for Similar Legislation

The Green Clean Schools Act became a law in Illinois law on Aug. 13, making Illinois the second state in the nation, along with New York, to require green cleaning in schools.

The law, which defines green cleaning simply as cleaning to protect health without harming the environment, requires schools to purchase environmentally sensitive cleaning products. It does not require schools to throw away existing supplies, and allows time for schools to order less toxic supplies in the next normal procurement cycle.

The law’s passage represents a victory not only for Illinois children, teachers, school nurses and community leaders, but also for children’s health advocates around the U.S. who are working to make green cleaning the norm in schools.

Since the act’s victory in the Illinois legislature earlier this year, lawmakers in three states have contacted HSC to express interest in putting forth similar legislation. HSC staff are available to offer advice and insight into the legislative process to advocates for green cleaning in schools.

Interested in bringing a Green Clean Schools law to your state? Contact HSC’s Mark Bishop to learn more about making it a reality »

New Celebrity Judges and Sponsors Support Cooking up Change

Every day, we’re thrilled with the amazing sponsors and celebrity judges who pledge their support to HSC’s annual benefit, Cooking up Change!

New sponsors include For Her Information Media, Alderman Vi Daley, Chicago Teachers Union, FGM Architects Engineers Inc., Prairie Crossing Learning Farm, Children’s Memorial Hospital and many more.

Celebrity judges Carol Haddix of the Chicago Tribune, Chef Clifford Rome of Parkway Ballroom and Rome's Joy, Louise Esaian of Chicago Public Schools, and Trey the Choklit Jock of Power 92.3 (WPWX-FM) have all joined the Cooking up Change team. 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 or call (312) 419-1810.

Check out event details, purchase tickets or get involved online at the new Cooking up Change website!

HSC Marathon Team Keeps Moving Forward

HSC's team running the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is keeping a steady pace in training and fundraising. Our team has already raised $11,998, almost halfway to our goal! You can make a contribution or meet some of the team members online at our marathon support page »

Who is running for HSC? In each newsletter, we'll introduce you to another member of our remarkable team:

"This is my first marathon, and I am very excited and slightly nervous. I am an educator and see the effects of poor health on students daily. I think more needs to be done to help young people achieve a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, our society is not as healthy as we should be. Yet there are organizations, like the Healthy Schools Campaign, trying to reverse this trend by helping young people learn how to be healthy and happy individuals!" Kara Coyle , Bolingbrook Ill. Support Kara'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 School Health Corporation for its generous support of our marathon team and to Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! for serving as our Honorary Team Captain.

Program Updates

Training Prepares Parents to Create and Sustain School Health Councils

Idida Perez of West Town Leadership United explains strategies for identifying resources.

Parents from Chicago's Latino and African-American communities came together at West Side Technical Institute for an intensive and innovative training focused on creating and leading school health councils, which provide a powerful avenue for parents to address issues related to health disparities and school wellness.

The four-part training series was 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 training, which includes knowledge related to school health and skills related to effective organizing for policy change, prepared parents to form a school health council and sustain it through work with other parents and leaders in the community.

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:

Alarming Conditions, Eye-Opening Lessons in School Building Tour | by Claris Olson
I recently had the chance to tour two schools at the extreme ends of the building-condition spectrum: an aging school in downtown Washington, D.C., and a LEED-certified “green” school in nearby Montgomery County Md. The D.C. school, built in the 1950s, is typical of many inner city schools in low-income minority communities. Outside the school, the windows looked as if they had not been cleaned since the school was built. Soot, rust and bird droppings created a film over everything.... Read more

Veggie Variety: Lessons from the Green Bean Rebels | by Jean Saunders
Sometimes, all you have to do is ask! At least, that's what the second graders at William V. Wright school in Las Vegas learned about speaking up for a tasty variety of food. An AP report, "Vegas Children Rebel... Against Green Beans," describes the "poignantly polite" letter-writing campaign that children used to advocate for some new vegetable options in their school cafeteria .... Read more

Can Wii Make a Difference for Fitness?| by Melissa Logsdon
Since the Nintendo Wii gaming system – in which players jump, kick, punch, and move their way through video games rather than only sitting – launched in November 2006, articles have been popping up everywhere from Time to The Wall Street Journal about people using the Wii for fitness.... Read more

Walk Across Illinois School Fitness Program| guest entry by Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
In less than two years, 10,000 participants in the Walk Across Illinois program, an online fitness initiative, have logged more than a million miles –- the equivalent of two round-trip journeys from the Earth to the moon!... Read more

School Nurses Key in Preventing Cardiovascular Disease| by Mark Bishop
At HSC, we believe that school nurses play an important role in children’s health. As the only medically-trained health professional in the school setting, a school nurse can be key to identifying opportunities for improvement and ultimately providing a healthier learning environment. Last week, a new report was released that shows the breadth and importance of the impact a school nurse can have.... Read more

Presentation Matters! | by Jean Saunders
This week, CNN reported that preschoolers believe food presented in a McDonald’s wrapper tastes better than non-branded food. Chefs and home cooks alike know that we taste first with our eyes. If food looks appealing, we are likely to enjoy it more.... Read more

"Trying to address the problem on an individual level has been so hard, and it may be because we're not addressing the network, which could be family, neighborhood, community, school."
- Dr. Julio Licinio, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, on new research that obesity -- and healthy body weight -- may spread through social networks, as quoted in HealthDay.

Today’s Dietitian
"Food Affair — The French Approach to Healthy Eating and Enjoyment" | This article includes a focus on Jean Saunders, HSC’s director of school wellness, and her experiences at the International Exchange Forum on Children, Obesity, Food Choice, and the Environment in the Loire Valley of France in April 2007. | More

View all coverage »

Family Dinner at Crust
Aug. 26, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Support HSC ally Purple Asparagus at this fun family event at the first certified organic restaurant in the Midwest | More

GreenTown: The Future of Community
Sept. 16
HSC is a supporting organization of this one-day conference designed to help you create an eco-effective community | More

Small Changes, Big Differences: Healthy Meals within your School Budget 
Aug. 22
Free mini-conference for school food service personnel | More

Webinar: Why You Want to be a National IAQ Tools for Schools Award Winner
Sept. 5, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Learn about the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Award, what it can do for your school, and how you can apply. Staff will be on-hand to answer questions about the application. | More

Executive Director
Action for Healthy Kids is seeking an executive director | More

Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children
Findings of National Health Interview Survey collected by the CDC, related to asthma and allergies, attention deficit disorder, health care utilization and more. | More [pdf]

Updated Lead Exposure Resources
New features on lead poisoning prevention, from the CDC | More

Love Your Veggies Grant
Deadline: Nov. 30, 2007
Will award 51 grants of $10,000 each to schools, to increase access to fresh vegetables at school
| More

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