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To achieve this objective, priority recommendations
include increasing the consumption of vegetables and
fruits, assuring that worksites provide healthful foods
and beverages, and assuring that K-12 schools provide
healthful foods and beverages.
The description below illustrates what organizations
and communities are doing to increase access to health
promoting foods.
The goal of the "Eat Better, Feel Better Project" at
TT Minor Elementary School is to assist children and families in making healthy food choices by supporting nutrition
policies, expanding opportunities for nutrition education, and focusing on physical improvements in the cafeteria.
In order to bridge school activities with nutrition habits in the home, families will be engaged through school-sponsored
Family Nights, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition-related homework assignments. At the project's conclusion, the
school's overall nutrition environment will improve substantially, such that healthy eating habits are the norm - rather than
the exception.
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Target
audience: Elementary school children and their families at TT Minor Elementary
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Evaluation: A comprehensive evaluation plan is being developed to look at both process and outcome measures through classroom assessment, lunchroom observations, and interviews of teachers, parents, administrators, and staff.
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Partners: Feet First, Seattle Public Schools Nutrition Services,
King County STEPS to a Healthier US Project, Public Health-Seattle & King County, King County Physical Activity Coalition, the UW Center for Public
Health Nutrition, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Lead
agency role: Feet First is the fiscal agent for the project award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living By Design program.
Healthy Eating by Design is a complementary project to Active Living by Design. Feet First partners with many community agencies to promote active living among residents. Feet First is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
serving Washington State, with a focus on the Puget Sound Region.
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For more information:
Katy Busby
Tel: 206-251-3411
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Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) administration has adopted healthy food and physical activity guidelines to assist
employees in making healthy choices when food is provided at meetings, trainings and events. These voluntary guidelines for Public Health sponsored
events include culturally appropriate, low-fat, lower calorie foods and beverages for breakfast, lunch/dinner, snacks and receptions. The guidelines are available
on http://www.metrokc.gov/health/nutrition/meetings.htm
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Target audience: Employees in departments of PHSKC
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Evaluation: The number of hits to the website where the guidelines
are posted will be measured.
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Partners: Children's Alliance
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Lead agency role: Nutrition consultants at Public Health-Seattle & King County developed the guidelines and provided labels on foods served at public events to bring awareness to the value and appeal of healthy food combinations. Because the guidelines are posted
on the website, they are available not only to King County, but also as a model to the State and the country.
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For more information:
Donna Oberg
206-296-4589
Web: http://www.metrokc.gov/health/nutrition/meetings.htm |
Five school districts in Washington State have shown
an exceptional commitment to improving nutrition and fitness for their students. The Children's Alliance and the Action
for Healthy Kids Coalition team in Washington state awarded $17,000 to the winning five districts at the annual conference of the Washington State School
Directors Association on Nov. 18, 2005. Port Angeles School District, North Thurston Public Schools, and St. John-Endicott
Cooperative School District each received $5,000. Ellensburg School District and Vancouver School District
received honorable mention awards of $1,000 each. Samples of new nutrition and physical education policies can be found on the
Healthy Schools in Washington web site (http://www.healthyschoolswa.org). School districts are increasingly interested in school policies. Last year, five districts applied. This year, the applications came in from 25 school districts.
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Target audience: Students in school districts all across Washington
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Evaluation: District policies were examined by an objective panel of
judges who assigned number scores based on criteria agreed upon and published in the application guidelines sent to the districts.
Noted strengths of the winning policies included exceptional innovation in areas of nutrition and physical activity, involvement of a broad range of input from students to community members, having included plans
that demonstrate efforts to sustain, enforce, and periodically update the policies, and having shown collaboration with local, state and/or regional efforts to improve access to healthy food and increase opportunities for physical activity.
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Partners: Children's Alliance, Action for Healthy Kids Coalition, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, UW Center for Public Health Nutrition, and other community partners. Funding was provided by Washington
Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, Access to Healthy Foods Coalition, Washington State Dairy Council, Children's Alliance and
industry partners.
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Lead agency role: The Children's Alliance works to improve the well being
of children by effecting positive changes and programs. With funds from the Department of Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Section,
Shelley Curtis of the Children's Alliance brought community partners on board to set up the criteria, publicize the event, and assist with judging
the applications.
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For more information:
Shelley Curtis
Tel: (206) 324-0340 x17
Web: www.childrensalliance.org
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