Local Wellness Policy

Additional Resources:

Healthy School Nutrition Environment

Action for Healthy Kids has dreamed up nearly 100 fundraising ideas for schools.

Action for Healthy Kids is about creating health-promoting schools that support sound nutrition and physical activity as part of a total learning environment
11 minute video showing the highlights of this Dec. 2008 national webcast that features a panel of national leaders discussing the urgency of creating healthier schools in America; engaging school and community leaders as allies; overcoming barriers in school nutrition and physical activity; and examples of leadership at the local level.

A partnership between the American Heart Association and The William J. Clinton Foundation. Offering free admission for anyone interested in helping a school become a healthier place to learn and work. When you join you will have access to a wealth of resources to support your efforts to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and create healthy lifelong habits.

 

Showcase of schools taking action on healthy eating and physical activity

Article that describes framework called the integrated strategy used with obesity prevention efforts, tobacco prevention programs, and public health agencies to ensure program success and sustainability
In- and after-school curricula, planning guides, and toolkits to assist parents, teachers, pediatricians and community leaders in creating an environment that promotes healthy eating and active living

Milk vending can be part of your healthy vending program. Explore this site for best practices in dairy vending and other wellness policy resources.

The Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) seeks to prevent the most serious health risk behaviors among children, adolescents and young adults. To accomplish this mission DASH implements four components.

This brief report examines the financial impact of implementing nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold on school campus outside of the school meal program in California.  It also discusses the challenges encountered and factors contributing to financial success.  Concrete recommendations are provided.
Ideas and information for school fundraisers that support local agriculture and community wellness
Ideas and recipes for food/beverage for class parties, snacks, concession stands, meetings, etc.
Field Report addressing the crucial role that students can play in positively affecting school nutrition and physical activity. 
This document recommends strategies for taking accurate measures while preserving positive body image and self esteem for all students.
This document identifies strategies most likely to be effective in helping young people adopt and maintain healthy eating
This document identifies strategies most likely to be effective in helping young people adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle

The American Cancer Society's Healthy Kids Network is a growing number of people who want to learn more about how school health benefits children.

A website with lots of ideas for holiday parties, birthdays, and other celebrations that meet the guidelines of your school wellness policy. Healthy snacks and recipes, and a month by month celebration calendar.
Field report on twelve Illinois schools and the results of various approaches to improving student wellness

Online resource for promoting healthy activities - especially for fund-raising in schools

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) wants to encourage schools to shape a healthier school environments, and has established the HealthierUS School Challenge to recognize those who meet the criteria.
The American Association of School Administrators publishes Healthy Learning News, a resource highlighting school districts that are making positive policy and program changes to address healthy eating and activity.
This field report features three model school projects advancing the cause of school wellness
Your link to physical activity resources in IL
Your link to school nutrition resources in IL
Baseline data from the 2003-2004 school year on the status of the school nutrition environment in Illinois

IMPACT -Increasing Movement and Physical Activity through Community-based teams - is a program to increase fitness and lower obesity rates among IL school children through teams of pediatricians, nurses, physical educators, dieticians, parents and others working with schools.
A guidance tool for local and state leaders to create healthy communities and prevent childhood obesity. Developed by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

This report documents how the excessive rise in poor nutrition, inactivity, and weight problems adversely affect academic achievement and possibly costs schools millions of dollars each year.
A 2009 report: a menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community.

CDC Resources Can Help you Implement Strategies to Prevent Obesity Among Children and Adolescents

Stories from 32 schools/school districts that have made innovative changes
From Maryland, a free downloadable guide for School Wellness Programs. The guide provides information on Wellness Policy goals, implementation activities, steps to support implementation, expected outcomes aligned with activities and monitoring opportunities.
This resource examines current practices, identifies concerns surrounding programs, and outlines needs for future research. Guidance is also provided on specific safeguards that need to be addressed before school decide to collect BMI information.
From the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity This comprehensive set of model nutrition and physical activity policies is based on nutrition science, public health research, and existing practices from exemplary states and local school districts around the country. Meets current federal guidelines.
NPLAN: National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity

The(NPLAN) provides leaders in the childhood obesity prevention field with focused legal research, model policies, fact sheets, toolkits, training and technical assistance to explain legal issues related to public health. Our goal is to help create strong childhood obesity policy interventions that will reverse the epidemic by 2015.
Brochure that encourages parents to be active participants in school wellness
Developed by Ohio Action for Healthy Kids, this guide gives individuals and parent groups guidance to begin student wellness projects in schools, and tips on raising healthy children at home.
A guide for developing school employee wellness programs

This website contains basic information on the problem, prevention strategies and key government documents. Future additions to the website will present summaries of model programs and evaluated interventions.
Summary of survey of principals conducted by the National Food Service Management Institute
Reproducible handout with snack, activity, reward, and fundraising ideas in PDF format
Success story from one community that was able to stem the rising rate of childhood weight by working together
A toolkit from Washington State AFHK helping schools overcome challenges they experience when implementing healthy food guidelines in their nutrition services, school stores, fundraising events, and vending machines.
This resource, developed by the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is a research-based snack rating system that calculates Nutrient Density in snack foods. Just plug in the name or UPC of the snack and all the information is provided.
Resource designed to engage students in influencing nutrition and physical activity polices within your school
Guide to healthy fundraising with contact information for fundraising companies with healthful options

Planning kit for a School Health Fair
Suggestions for planning healthy meetings in any setting
Twenty ideas for healthful fundraisers

One of the most comprehensive and up-to-date reports on how schools can play an important role in obesity prevention. Contains information on financial aspects of change

Assessment Tools
Statewide telephone survey used to collect data regarding health status and risk behaviors of children ages one to 14 years old

The SHI is a self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. Training module available for staff.

New tool to guide teams of teachers, parents, and students to assess the food environment outside of school meals and develop policies changes to create a healthier school

 

Local Wellness Policy Development

This guide published by the state of Connecticut contains policy development information as well as healthy snack guidance and resources.

Describes restrictions on the sale of foods of minimal nutritional value and lists food items that have been exempted from this category. Provides model language and information about nutrition integrity for those schools that may want to develop a stronger policy.

Sample policy language that can be adapted as needed to address nutrition, physical activity and tobacco use in schools.

Information on the wellness policy provision which requires every school district that participates in the school meals programs to enact a wellness policy

Model local wellness policy language

Guide to improving school foods and beverages including goals, strategies, model materials and policies and case studies

Policy guidelines

Guide to developing local wellness policies – designed to assist districts with a high percentage of free and reduced students

Contains how-to manual, resource information, school foodservice reprints, reproducible handouts and MyPyramid Posters

 

Curriculum & Programs

Evidence-based K-5 curriculum with classroom, cafeteria and after-school components - available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase from www.flaghouse.com

Gr. 4-6 evidence-based, interdisciplinary nutrition and physical activity curriculum - available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase
Downloadable program for after school and classrooms for 11 to 18-year-olds, May 2007
Gr. 6-8 evidence-based curriculum that allows students to assess their own diet and plan for improvement - available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase
Gr. 5-12 video series that help get youth fired up about advocating for healthy lifestyle choices - available in Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase

Enrichment activities for 11-18-year-olds -available in Nutrition Education Loan Library
Evidence-based program utilizing a holistic nutrition and healthy lifestyle management program in elementary schools including nutrition education, healthy school-provided dietary offerings, physical activity and measuring effectiveness
A list of model programs on for youth nutrition and fitness
Downloadable MyPyramid Lessons for grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Downloadable lessons for middle and high school to help students make healthful nutrition and physical activity choices, April 2007
Gr. 3-5 evaluated program which reinforces language arts and math while teaching health - available in Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase

Time-tested and evaluated educational materials that have proven effective in helping students understand the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices and motivating them to make these changes in their own lives - some components available in Nutrition Education Loan Library or can be purchased

Source of training on planning quality PE programs
Gr 6-8 interdisciplinary, evidence-based curriculum to promote healthy eating and physical activity - available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase
Gr. 6-12 curriculum focusing on nutrient density. Contains modules for sports nutrition, weight and eating for convenience. Available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase
Downloadable Gr. 6-8 after school curriculum focusing on lifetime healthful eating and activity
Gr. 3-6 year-long program addressing "energy in" (nutrition) and "energy out" (physical activity)-Available in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase

Physical education curriculum for K-6 - in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase

Downloadable advocacy program that assists teenagers in developing leadership skills, how to eat healthier and be more physically active

Numerous instructional resources available for free from USDA Team Nutrition
Advocacy program that assists teenagers in developing leadership skills, how to eat healthier and be more physically active

K-5 classroom program designed to add 10-minute physical activity periods to the school day - in the Nutrition Education Loan Library or for purchase

Downloadable Gr. 6-8 health curriculum for health, home economics or family living classes

 

Wellness Promotion Resources
2010 Decatur School Wellness Conference Speaker Handouts Handouts from the 2010 Conference
Contains a downloadable Healthy Lifestyles Parents Guide, a list of healthy fundraisers for PTA and ideas for ways parents can support student wellness among other resources

Comprehensive guide to establishing and supporting employee wellness programs in schools.  While these programs promote employee health, they also aim to improve workforce productivity and to reduce employee absenteeism and healthcare costs. 

Healthy Eating Posters for School Snack Bars

Posters to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in a la carte programs. Contact NET at 800-466-7998 for a set of free posters.

Knack Online

This website is designed to help parents, community advocates, and youth workers address adolescent overweight and obesity through evidence-based, reliable, useful and action-oriented resources.

These would make great additions for the lunchroom or classroom to support school wellness initiatives. 

 
This Guide from Kidnetic.com is packed with fun, easy—and even time-saving—ideas and tips that can help you lead your kids down the path to a lifetime of healthful habits.
International Walk to School event with free registration and downloadable resources

Contains practical tips for parents or school or childcare staff on how to bring the recommendations of MyPyramid into their everyday lives

 

Grant Funding

The Physical Education for Progress program will provide funds for local educational agencies (LEAs) to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs and assist LEAs in meeting State standards for physical education.

Hot Link Grant Opportunities and Funding Strategies

 

 

Links to grant opportunities, databases and other funding resources for coordinated school health

 
Last updated 9/25/2009
  

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2009-2010 Illinois NET Program Service Flyer