Web Links
National, Government:
Action For Healthy Kids (AFHK)
The aim of AFHK is to improve children’s eating habits and increase their physical activity in schools through national and state-level efforts. The website has a section on “Resources to Improve Schools”, which contains a drop-down menu of many topics to help teachers, school administrators, and parents to take action in implementing healthy school programs and policies. Topics include (but are not limited to) nutrition education, physical activity, vending/snacks, advertising in schools, fundraising, childhood obesity, community outreach, and after school programs. Each topic contains multiple resources such as handouts, pamphlets, toolkits, brochures, reports, and documents, many of which are in PDF format and can be downloaded. There are also blueprints available for changing policies and evaluations and profiles of existing school based programs.
CDC Healthy Youth! Making it Happen: School Nutrition Success Stories
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/Making-It-Happen/
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/index.htm
This website summarizes a range of approaches that schools have taken to improve student nutrition. Case studies show that students will buy and consume healthful foods and beverages, and that schools can make money from these options. The website outlines six approaches to improve student nutrition: establishing nutrition standards for competitive foods, influencing food/beverage contracts, increasing availability of healthy foods, adopting marketing techniques, limiting access to competitive foods, and school fundraising and rewards. Each approach is described in a report and includes case studies of school programs. The entire report, an executive summary, or selected approaches, can be downloaded in PDF format. The second website listed above provides information on childhood nutrition and obesity, and provides links to data and statistics, science-based strategies to improve nutrition, information on existing programs (including registries and program evaluation), and various publications and references, all of which can be downloaded.
CDC Healthy Youth / School Health Index
Funding Sources: Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The School Health Index website provides a self-assessment tool and planning guide for elementary and high schools that allow you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your school’s policies and programs for promoting health, develop an action plan for improving student health, and involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving school policies and programs. Different modules allow you to assess the extent to which your school implements the kinds of policies and practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its research-based guidelines for nutrition services and physical education. Following this self-assessment, there are guidelines and instructions on how to implement a School Health Improvement Plan. In addition, the website provides various resources on nutrition and physical activity including data and statistics, science-based strategies, information on national and state programs, publications, and references. The School Health Index materials can be downloaded or ordered at no cost.
Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment Tool Kit (USDA)
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/changing.html
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Default.htm
The USDA developed a tool kit of materials to help parents and educators take action to improve their school nutrition environment. The kit includes a guide for making an action plan, criteria for evaluating success, support materials on assessment, and Powerpoint presentations, CD-Rom, videos, brochures, reprints, flyers, and information sheets. The toolkit can be ordered online at no cost. The website also includes information on how to develop and implement local wellness policies, and provides numerous resources such as handouts and information on nutrition education for children and parents, school and community resources, training materials for food service professionals, classroom curriculum materials and activities for teachers, and information specific to parents. There is also a “Team Nutrition” schools database which allows you to access and view descriptions of schools across the country that have made successful changes in the school nutrition environment.
Healthy School Nutrition Environment Resource List
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Nutrition/HSNE_Resource_List.pdf
This online PDF document lists numerous online resources to assist schools to promote nutrition and physical activity in children. It covers a range of categories including competitive foods in schools, healthy eating and physical activity handouts for parents, healthy school meals, nutrition education, nutrition information, physical activity, promoting healthy weight in children, school policies, and nutrition/physical activity legislation. This list is updated regularly and offers current links that will be of interest to educators, school officials, and parents.
Healthy Youth! Make a Difference at Your School
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/keystrategies/index.htm
This website is sponsored by the National Center for Chronic Disease Preventions and Health Promotion. It offers advice for how to make school environments healthier.
National Conference of State Legislatures: Childhood Obesity- Update and Overview of Policy Options
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/ChildhoodObesity-2006.htm
This website provides a basic overview of childhood obesity and legislative efforts considered or implemented in 2006. A chart clearly shows which states considered or enacted specific health reforms.
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/
WeCan! is a national education program designed for parents and caregivers to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight, with goals of improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing TV viewing time. This is not a website geared to address school interventions, but it provides a range of materials to help local groups and/or parents implement healthy changes in their communities. Resources include a 200-page toolkit for community action (with planning tools, curricula, and activities), a parent handbook, booklets on increasing healthy behaviors, research information on childhood obesity, bilingual fact sheets on nutrition, physical activity, and heart health, quizzes, posters, banners, healthy recipes, and tips for improving family nutrition and physical activity.
National, Non-Government:
5 A Day: The Color Way (Produce for Better Health Foundation)
This website contains a number of resources for educators, school food services, retailers, parents, and children to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Materials for educators include free nutrition education curricula, lesson plans, teaching tools, classroom resources, activity sheets, healthy fundraising/vending options, and research and policy information. For parents there are fact sheets, references, recipes, and family games to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. Materials for children include activity sheets, coloring pages, trivia quizzes and games.
American Obesity Association: Childhood Obesity
http://obesity1.tempdomainname.com/subs/childhood/prevention.shtml
This website contains information for creating a healthy and active environment at home and at school in order to prevent and treat childhood obesity.
American Public Health Association (APHA): Toolkit for Obesity Prevention
This site represents a subsection of APHA’s home webpage, which focuses on obesity intervention which was the theme of the 2003 National Public Health Week. As part of this 2003 initiative, APHA created a toolkit for obesity intervention that includes media and legislative advocacy materials, such as sample letters to public officials, talking points for meetings, and telephone/radio scripts. The toolkit can be downloaded on this site at no cost. In addition, the website provides links to government resources and materials for parents and teachers, as well as links to fact sheets on obesity, nutrition, school foods and meal programs. The website also outlines “tools for action” against overweight and obesity, which includes links to sample policies that encourage healthy eating and activity in schools, guides to community action, and listserves to promote healthy nutrition environments in schools.
Center for Science in the Public Interest “School Foods Tool Kit: A Guide to Improving School Foods & Beverages”
http://www.cspinet.org/schoolfood/
CSPI’s School Foods Tool Kit is divided into 3 parts: The first section includes strategies for improving school foods and beverages, background materials, fact sheets on children's diets and health, school meal programs, and vending and other school food venues. Also included are techniques to implement changes in schools, with guidance and model materials for communicating with decision makers, the press, and other community members. The second section provides model legislation, sample letters, and a list of online resources. The third section provides examples of successful case studies of healthy school changes, including descriptions and contact information for individuals, organizations, and states working to improve the nutritional quality of school foods and beverages. This tool kit can be downloaded online at no cost. Hard copies are available to order for $10.
Keys to Excellence in School Food & Nutrition Evaluation Tool
This online resource developed by the School Nutrition Association is a self-assessment tool that allows people to evaluate their school nutrition program in four "key" areas including administration, communications & marketing, nutrition, and operations. This tool may be most useful for individuals who are overseeing a district's food service program. Completing the assessment will help to benchmark your school nutrition program's quality, and develop a plan to strengthen programs. The assessment tool was developed by a multi-disciplinary committee of food service district directors, food service managers, federal and state agency representatives, university instructors and SNA/Child Nutrition Foundation staff members. The website also provides a database of school nutrition programs that demonstrate excellence providing nutritious food and a healthy educational environment for students.
Shaping America’s Youth (SAY)
http://www.shapingamericasyouth.com/Default.aspx
This website aims to provide current and comprehensive information on programs and community efforts across the United States directed at increasing physical activity and improving nutrition in children. This website also provides information on current news, meetings and events, funding opportunities, publications and other resources related to childhood obesity. The website provides an extensive summary report of its national survey of over 1100 programs addressing childhood nutrition and physical activity. There is also an online registry that provides access to information on these individual programs. Additional materials available on this website include articles, publications, and reports that can be downloaded, as well as a list of online resources addressing childhood obesity, physical activity, the built environment, and funding opportunities in these areas.
Slow Food in Schools
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/education/
A growing program comprising more than 20 garden-to-table projects across the country, Slow Food in Schools helps children develop an appreciation for real, wholesome food and an understanding of sustainable food practices.
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Sciences)
http://www.healthinschools.org/sh/obesity.asp#is1
This website provides information on childhood obesity and school nutrition & physical activity, including links to reports, academic articles, policies and legislation, prevention strategies, and government documents. It also contains a selected bibliography of journal articles and other publications on childhood obesity, as well as fact sheets, and a parents’ resource center with resources to encourage parental involvement in school nutrition. The website also offers new alerts and grant alerts, and is adding a section which summarizes model school programs and evaluated interventions.
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
http://www.healthinschools.org/Educators-and-Families/Parents/Learn-Now/Obesity.aspx
The CHHCS is a nonpartisan policy and program resource center that aims to provide quality care to children through schools. The Center offers information to the public and advises policy organizations about school health programs.
The Role of Schools in Preventing Childhood Obesity
http://www.nasbe.org/Standard/17_Dec2004/Wechsler2.pdf
This paper outlines several ways in which schools can take action against the obesity epidemic.
State, Government:
Connecticut State Department of Education
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Student/NutritionEd/index.htm
The Connecticut State Department of Education recently published the Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies (February 2006). This Action Guide provides comprehensive guidance for school districts on developing and implementing local policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity. It will assist school districts with meeting recommended state (Connecticut) and national guidelines and the School Wellness Policy requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Public Law 108-265). The Action Guide was reviewed by a committee representing 21 health and education organizations in Connecticut and was adopted by the Connecticut State Board of Education on January 11, 2006.
The Action Guide translates research-based policy development concepts and models into real-life strategies that work at the local level, based on the experience of 10 Connecticut pilot school districts. It is intended to guide local school districts in establishing and implementing policies and practices that: promote students’ improved nutrition and increased physical activity; encourage families to support and participate in programs and initiatives that are intended to improve their children’s health; and encourage schools to collaborate with community organizations to provide consistent health messages and to support school-based activities that promote healthy eating and physical activity. The Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies is available at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Student/NutritionEd/index.htm. You can download the entire document (276 pages) or download each individual section.
State, Non-Government:
California Project Lean
This website aims to increase healthy eating and physical activity in teenagers. In addition to providing healthy eating strategies, information on food and nutrition, and games and activities designed to promote healthy behaviors, the site also includes examples of how teens in California have made a difference in their schools to encourage nutrition and physical activity. There is also a small toolkit that teens can use to pursue nutrition and physical activity policies in their school with the help of a teacher or advisor. Included with this kit is a “Policy Game” which teaches teenagers about the policy change process.
Healthy Eating Active Communities
http://healthyeatingactivecommunities.org/index.php
The Healthy Eating Active Communities is a $26 million four-year initiative sponsored by the California Endowment. It funds projects to prevent and reduce obesity in California.
Kansas Coordinated School Health
http://www.ksde.org/CNWPortal/CSHP/KCSH_Menus/KCSH_Home.htm
This website provides a variety of nutrition and physical non-curricular websites, tools, and resources for schools, parents and youth. Each website listed has a brief description of its content, which ranges from activities to promote eating healthy and fitness for children, to parental strategies to promote nutrition at home, to online resources for school administrators and curriculum ideas for teachers.
Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA)
http://www.mphaweb.org/issues_childobesity.htm
Community Action to Change School Food Policy Tool kit: http://www.mphaweb.org/documents/CommunityActiontoChangeSchoolFoodPolicy_000.pdf . The MPHA has identified childhood nutrition and obesity as one of its policy priorities. As a result, this organization has devoted a section of its website to information that can help school districts improve nutrition policies. Information includes fact sheets about childhood weight and nutrition, access to newsletters and research reports, and a list of web-based resources. What is most impressive, however, is MPHA’s tool kit for “Community Action to Change School Food Policy” which can be downloaded at no cost at the website listed above. This 70-page manual outlines a detailed, step-by-step process of how to form committees, raise awareness, conduct research on the food environment in local schools, write policy materials, prepare testimonies, present policies to schools, publicize policies, and implement and follow-up on school food policy changes. It specifically focuses on policy that covers foods and beverages sold in vending machines, school stores, a la carte menus, and fundraisers. The manual includes fact sheets, talking points, assessment tools, rebuts to common arguments, sample model legislation and school policies, and provides numerous citations and references to the scientific literature.
Opportunities and Challenges in Community-Level Obesity Prevention Efforts
http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/30/426/Gavin.Oct%207.pdf
This PowerPoint Presentation examines the various causes of obesity and the obstacles in implementing community based intervention and prevention efforts. The slides review successful community interventions in hopes of applying similar tactics to obesity.
Sweet Youth Productions
“I FEEL GREAT! The Health and Nutrition Show” is a Sweet Youth Productions program that strives to make a positive impact on the children’s health crisis in America. The program holds school plays and assemblies that cover health and nutrition, bullying, literacy, peer pressure and the environment. Through interactive group events, the program aims to encourage children to make healthier food and fitness choices and to provide schools with classroom and take-home materials on health and nutrition
The Edible Schoolyard
http://www.edibleschoolyard.org
From their website: "The Edible Schoolyard, in collaboration with Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, engages 950 public school students in a one-acre organic garden and a kitchen classroom. Using food as a unifying concept, students learn how to grow, harvest, and prepare nutritious seasonal produce. Experiences in the kitchen and garden foster a better understanding of how the natural world sustains us, and promote the environmental and social well being of our school community."
The Montana Team Nutrition Program
http://www.opi.state.mt.us/schoolfood/L&CFitness.html
Although this online tool kit was specifically developed for teachers working with school children (4th and 5th grade students) in Montana, it serves as a creative model and guide for teachers and schools to use in creating their own nutrition and physical activity educational program. This tool kit includes lesson plans on nutrition and physical activity, information sheets on nutrition and fitness, and provides strategies to integrate nutrition and physical activity across the curriculum. There are also handouts for school staff, parents, and students, as well as promotional materials and supporting resources.
University of Texas School of Public Health, at Houston Human Nutrition Center
http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/catch/
The Human Nutrition Center at the University of Texas is conducting several large-scale research studies to improve childhood nutrition and physical activity. This website describes these different research projects and provides related resources and references. One project highlighted is CATCH (Child & Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health), which provides curriculum materials, school level and individual evaluation methods, CATCH publications, information for educators and families, handouts, and additional references. Another project is SPAN (School Physical Activity and Nutrition) which provides downloadable questionnaires for assessment and contact information. A third project is IMPACT (Incorporating More Physical Activity and Calcium in Teens) which provides links to measurement tools and contact information.