Healthy Schools Campaign

Happy Birthday, Healthy Schools Campaign!

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

This week marks the sixth anniversary of a Healthy Schools Summit that was organized by Generation Green (the organization that I was working for six years ago), Safer Pest Control Project, and Citizen Action/Illinois. (HSC Board member Lynda DeLaforgue is also Co-Director of Citizen Action/Illinois - she has been here from the beginning!)

Two hundred people from 75 organizations plus a group of high school students attended the summit.  Speakers included Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Congressman Danny Davis, Ron Burke (now Deputy Director at Illinois EPA) and Dr. Vicky Persky. 

This event was followed by a similar event in Springfield and eventually gave birth to the Healthy Schools Campaign.   

It’s interesting to reflect on the ways that our organization continues to be shaped by this powerful event six years ago:

Student participation:  A group of Chicago public high school students attended the summit and provided dramatic first-hand testimony to some of the conditions they face.  In the last year, we have been able to reengage with students through the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest. Just last week, we celebrated with culinary students at Chicago Vocational Career Academy when the healthy meal they designed was served in high school cafeterias throughout Chicago Public Schools.

Green Cleaning:  Kim Hall from Rochester Midland (now a sponsoring company of our Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools) attended the summit.  She introduced me to the concept of green cleaning and introduced me to Steve Ashkin. Steve is now the author of our Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

Latino Community Participation:  Idida Perez, the executive director of West Town Leadership United and our current partner on the Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools, attended the summit.  When the Spanish-language TV station Univision covered the event, Idida became our on-the-spot media spokesperson. Our work in the Latino community continues to expand, particularly through the Parents United for Healthy Schools / Padres Unidos Para Escuelas Saludables coalition. Univision’s Enrique Rodriguez has been a wonderful supporter of our work, speaking at our Parents’ Rally for Healthy Schools and serving as master of ceremonies at our annual benefit, Cooking up Change.

Chicago Community Trust:  Chicago Community Trust gave a grant to help us organize the summit that led to HSC’s creation. Ada Mary Gugenheim attended the event and has been a strong supporter ever since.

On a personal level, the last six years have been very exciting and rewarding.  I feel very blessed with all of the friends and colleagues that I have made over the last six years.  I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to work toward making meaningful change.

Student-Designed School Lunch Served throughout Chicago Public High Schools

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

For culinary students at Chicago Vocational Career Academy (CVCA), the long-awaited day has finally arrived!

Today, the students’ menu of red beans and rice with smothered cabbage and candied carrots will be served at all high schools in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. High school students around the city will enjoy a healthy meal that CVCA students created to meet high standards for nutrition, taste and presentation.

The CVCA students won this honor by winning first place in the Cooking up Change Healthy Cooking Contest at HSC’s annual benefit in October. We couldn’t be more proud of the students, and are delighted to share the thoughts of three members of the winning team:

My experience in the Healthy Schools Campaign competition was a very great learning experience. I was able to obtain more confidence in myself as well as in my future. This campaign put me in a “quick thinking on my feet” situation; when I look back on it, I can applaud myself and my teammates who all played a major role in our success as a group. I really can say that throughout the whole competition I felt an exciting feeling as if I knew the outcome would be worth it.  ~ Ariel Griffin

Being a part of the winning team, which is Chicago Vocational, of the Healthy Schools Campaign is one of the greatest feelings a person in the food industry could gain. The day of the competition was nerve-wracking because of the way it started and the challenges along the way: at first our bus was an hour late which made us late for the competition, and when we were on our way to the competition, our food was spilling. But when they announced our school as the winners my teacher Mr. Fuller jumped into my arms because he knew how hard we worked to get those trophies. But to know that our food is going to be in every CPS school is one of the greatest accomplishments that our school could ever gain.  ~ Kevin Williams

I am really appreciative of the opportunity to compete in the healthy cooking competition. I’m elated that we won first place, for the appetizer and entrée portion of the contest. The whole competition was a great experience, including the work that was done prior to the competition. This is definitely an experience that I will never forget. I hope that the entrée is a great success on the Chartwells menu. Thanks to the judges for making the right decision, we (Chicago Vocational Career Academy – Culinary department) will make sure you are happy you chose us as the winners.  ~ Alexia R. McLaurin

Many congratulations to the culinary students at CVCA! 

Happy Thanksgiving! And Happy Cooking for CPS Students at New Culinary High School

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

My phone rang early this morning. 

It was a friend, calling from her office to ask for my advice on turkey brining. To brine or not to brine? We had a great conversation about the merits of and techniques associated with brining turkeys. (I told her that it’s not difficult, it just takes some advanced planning. And, she decided that she was up to the challenge!) 

My friend was a apologetic about “bothering” me, but I assured her that it was just the opposite –-  I  love fielding questions about food and cooking, especially those that involve holiday meal preparations.

Time and time again, I find that conversations about food preparation are ice-breakers, common-ground finders and even confidence builders.

It looks like the folks over at CPS (Chicago Public Schools) and I might just agree on that point. Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported:

The Chicago Board of Education is expected to approve plans for the first high school designed to promote the culinary field and encourage dropouts to come back to school in Chicago. The school would target dropouts and at-risk 11th graders by providing vocational training aligned with a real world career. Slated to open in 2008, the school would award high school diplomas, state food-handling certificates and, through a partnership with a culinary institute, 16 college credits. This opportunity has the ability to change lives by giving students a second chance at high school, a tangible real-world skill and college credits.

Cooking as a way to encourage students to stay in school? Could it work? I certainly think so!

This firm conviction is based on my observations of the kids I’ve had the pleasure of cooking with over the years. I’ve had the chance to cook with second-graders as an enrichment to their math and social studies curriculum, with middle school students in French and Spanish language classes and with high school freshmen in their English literature class.

Without exception, these cooking experiences engaged kids who had been struggling with the regular academic material but became very engaged when we were preparing food. One of the second grade teachers I worked with told me that the star “student chef” in my cooking class was usually disruptive in class. When we were cooking, he was a model pupil.

There’s just something about cooking fresh, tasty food (and sharing it with others!) that can really bring out the best in people. We saw this at the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest, when CPS culinary students prepared appetizers, desserts and healthy school meals. The students were practically radiant with excitement and pride in the amazing food they had created together.

I don’t have my crystal ball handy,  but I’m convinced that the kids who had an opportunity to develop their cooking skills at school have their sleeves rolled up right now, cutting and chopping their way to a great Thanksgiving feast with their families and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Applauding Healthy School Food in Chicago – And Creative Student Chefs

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

It was truly a delight to meet the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) culinary students and teachers who participated in the healthy cooking contest at Cooking up Change, HSC’s annual benefit, and to check out the dishes they entered in the "healthy school lunch" category of the contest.

The category was filled with delicious, healthy meals:  a whole wheat chicken burrito with Mexican rice, roasted sweet potato soup with southern herb greens and smoked turkey, and the winning lunch, red beans and rice with smothered apples and candied carrots.

This was even more exciting because the students’ work to create healthy school lunches is part of a much larger school food transformation at CPS.

The school meals that students prepared met the "Balanced Choices" nutrition guidelines designed by CPS partner Chartwells-Thompson to set a high standard of health and nutrition for school meals. CPS high school students can choose a meal prepared to meet these guidelines every day – and in Jan., they will be able to choose the school meal designed by their peers when the winning lunch is served throughout CPS high schools.

In the past year, CPS food service has made other impressive changes, adding more fruits and vegetables while removing trans fats and whole milk. Deep fryers are no longer used by any elementary schools in the district or by 55 high schools, and the fryers will not be used in any CPS schools by 2009.

These changes will make a very real difference for the hundreds of thousands of children who consume the majority of their daily calories at school, and are even more impressive when I consider that CPS serves nearly 72 million school meals each year for less than a dollar per meal for food.

Involving students in a dialog about making healthy eating choices – as with the healthy cooking contest – will make the changes more relevant and will help pave the way for success.  I applaud CPS for taking these impressive steps for students’ health.

Chicago Teachers’ Contract Includes Staff Wellness Initiatives

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

I am glad that the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education reached an agreement about their contract without a strike and very glad that this contract recognizes the importance of teachers’ health. 

While I do not have the expertise to provide an overall evaluation of the contract, it’s great to see that the contract includes a number of programs which promote staff wellness,  including  a health care plan which covers office visits, providing teachers and other staff with access to free health assessments. The contract also includes lifestyle coaching, access to smoking cessation and weight loss programs and reduced rates at health clubs.   

At the Healthy Schools Campaign, we call upon policy makers and school officials to create school environments which promote healthy eating and active lifestyles. Teachers play a critical role in this equation. 

Teachers who practice healthy lifestyles are more likely to incorporate nutrition education and physical activity into the classroom. And, let’s face it, teachers who are practicing what they preach will be more credible messengers of the healthy lessons. Making schools healthier working environments for teachers also creates healthier learning environments for students.

I urge the district and the union to work together to implement the staff wellness provisions of their contract.  And I hope that other school leaders around the country will consider the importance of staff wellness in creating healthy schools.

Momentum in Springfield for Healthy Schools

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

So much activity related to school health is going on in Springfield this year that it’s hard to keep it all straight.

HSC’s Green Clean Schools Act (HB895) sailed through the Senate Education Committee with comments from senators such as, “This is a great bill” and “I’m proud to put my name on this piece of legislation.” Sen. Iris Martinez is our Senate sponsor.

Now it seems as if we have the momentum to get this bill passed, but we can’t let up yet –- we still have our work ahead of us to let other senators know about the importance of green cleaning before the bill is brought to a vote before the full Senate.

If the Senate approves the Green Clean Schools Act, Illinois will become only the second state to require green cleaning in schools. (Right now, New York is the only state with this requirement.)

Check out a few of the other bills related to healthy schools that are really moving in Springfield:

Energy Efficient School Construction Grants (SB505) 
This bill from HSC and our allies would provide schools with additional funding through the school construction grant program to build to sustainable and energy efficient standards. After an overwhelmingly positive 48-8 vote in the Senate, the bill has moved to the House. On May 8, the House Education Committee will hold a hearing on the bill. 

School Recess Bill (HB1335)
This bill would require CPS to offer at least 10 minutes of recess to students in grades K-6. On April 24, Parents United for Healthy Schools brought more than 40 parent leaders and 15 students to Springfield to lobby for this bill. The very next day we had nine more co-sponsors (up from just one sponsor) and this week the House approved the bill! On Tuesday, Parents United is holding a press conference at Mitchell School to announce this victory and keep the momentum going as the bill moves to the Senate.

School Health Center Act (SB715)
This bill requires IDHS to open twenty new school heath centers over 5 years and build capacity at existing centers. On May 2, the Senate passed this bill. The bill, championed by Sen. Donne Trotter, will now head to the House with the support of the lead sponsor, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers is leading the efforts on this bill.

School Renewable Energy Grants (HB0285)
This bill will establish a renewable energy grant program at ISBE to assist school districts with building renewable energy sources in the public schools. This bill was approved by the House and is on final reading in the Senate.

We'll keep you posted as these bills progress!

Why I Run the Chicago Marathon - And Why You Should Join Me

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

Noting last week that the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon just closed registration after reaching its capacity of 45,000 runners -- six months before the race date of Oct. 7 -- Chicago Tribune columnist Julie Deardorff wrote:

If you missed the deadline, you can still get into the event through one of the event’s 85 charity partners, affiliated international tour groups or the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA).

My question is: Why would you want to?

The marathon is just too crowded, especially if you're a serious runner, but not good enough to get an elite start. It's like the insanely congested LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K, which now draws 30,000 people but only gives seeded starts to those who have run a LaSalle Bank sponsored qualifier.

First, let me get it out of the way -- Healthy Schools Campaign is one of the charity partners and we have slots available for those who want to join HSC and our honorary captain, NPR's Peter Sagal, running on behalf of improving school health. (Come join us -- volunteers and supporters, as well as runners, are welcomed!)

Second, I have a very different perspective on the Chicago Marathon. In 2002, though, I agreed with Julie completely. I had run enough marathons that I didn't want to deal with the crowds of Chicago anymore. I was committed to running only small marathons, which have an excitement of their own.

In October 2002, I ran the Milwaukee Marathon and loved it. It was a beautiful and relatively intimate race. I loved ending the one-way race at the lakefront.

The Chicago Marathon was taking place the next weekend, so I decided to go downtown to check it out -– confident that I would be happy to just watch and stay out of the huge, crowded race.

What ended up happening wasn't what I expected. As a runner, I felt that I was missing something by not participating in the Chicago Marathon. I could hardly stand to just watch while the runners raced by with the incredibly motivating and contagious energy that only this kind of race gives you.

The Chicago Marathon has such great positive energy that it's impossible to not get caught up in it. I really wanted to be in the race that day. I decided that the only way I could not run the Chicago Marathon was if I was out of town so I wouldn't feel first-hand the disappointment of being a non-participant.

So this year I'll be one of the 45,000 training for my 11th Chicago Marathon (and my 14th marathon overall -- In addition to Milwaukee, I've also run Anchorage and Cincinnati).

Why would I want to join the masses? Because there's nothing else like it. For me, the question is how anyone could resist.

UPDATE MAY 1: HSC has filled its bibs for the marathon. However, if you are already registered and would like to join HSC's charity team, or volunteer on the day of the race, please contact Cheryl Kaplan. Donations and sponsors are also welcomed (here's the contributors' site). Thanks for your support!

Shop Whole Foods and Support the Organic School Project

by Tara Kennon, HSC Writer & Publications Coordinator

We're always happy for the opportunity to support Greg Christian and his wonderful Organic School Project. And, we're always happy for another reason to pick up some tasty, healthy food.

Next week, we get to do both: On Wednesday, April 25, Whole Foods Markets of Chicago will host a Community Support Day with 5 percent of all purchases donated to Organic School Project, which brings fresh, healthy, organically grown food to Chicago schoolchildren.

Children in three Chicago pilot schools grow their own organic veggies in neighborhood gardens through the Organic School Project's work to help children see the connections between the food they eat and the way that food is grown.

Just shop at one of the three area Whole Foods on April 25 and 5 percent of your purchase will automatically go toward supporting the Organic School Project -- no need to bring or mention anything at the checkout.

Participating Chicago-area Whole Foods markets are located at 1000 W. North Avenue (Lincoln Park); 3300 N. Ashland Avenue (Lakeview); and 30 W. Huron Street (Gold Coast).

HSC works with Greg on the Chicago School Food Collaborative, in which local charter schools are pioneering new ways of delivering healthier food to their students. Greg's remarkable energy, unique perspective and complete dedication to bringing truly healthy food to school cafeterias is already making a real difference for children's health.

HSC Criticizes Cook County Budget Cuts

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

Earlier this month, I wrote with the hope that the 2007 Cook County budget would maintain funding for school-based health clinics, which are important places for educating students about healthy lifestyles and managing chronic conditions.

Unfortunately, the budget approved by the Cook County Board last week eliminates six school-based clinics and four neighborhood clinics, while also slashing funding for two additional school-based clinics.

"A lot of time students come in and they're in dire need of an asthma pump to help ease the pain. Having these cutbacks will downgrade our health centers," Jeffrey Riley, a student patient, told CBS2 Chicago.

A recent community-level study from Sinai Health System shows dramatically higher rates of childhood obesity and asthma in Latino and African-American communities. In Humboldt Park, for example, approximately 28 percent of children experience asthma and 62 percent of children are overweight or obese. In West Town, approximately 73 percent of children are overweight or obese. This compares with a national average of 17 percent.

It is a real tragedy that the Cook County Board failed to prioritize children's health.

CPS Reports on Wellness Policy Implementation

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

Barely a day goes by without a news article on the escalation of the childhood obesity epidemic, so most of us are keenly aware of and concerned about the health risks that face our nation’s children. Less often cited, though, are the statistics showing that this epidemic disproportionately affects children in ethnic minority and low-income communities.

According to the CDC, approximately 25 percent of Latino boys and African-American girls are overweight, compared to an already high national average of 17 percent. Disparities in Chicago are even more pronounced. In Humboldt Park, which has a largely Latino and African-American population, data from Sinai Urban Health Institute shows that approximately 62 percent of children are overweight or obese.

In their article "Targeting Interventions for Ethnic Minority and Low-Income Populations" (PDF), Shiriki Kumanyika and Sonya Grier point out that these disparities in childhood obesity rates present yet another challenge for researchers, policy makers and practitioners who are focusing on obesity prevention.

The authors conclude by suggesting that "preventing child obesity in minority and low-income populations requires thinking through all the issues that apply to the population at large and then considering how these issues might differ in a populations with different social-cultural characteristics and usually less favorable health profiles, environmental circumstances and life chances."

As we work to address health disparities, it is very important to keep in mind the unique role that schools can play in reaching out to children most in need of nutrition and physical activity services.

On Jan. 25, HSC sponsored an event (view press release) where Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials reported to the community on their efforts to address childhood obesity through the newly-adopted wellness policy. We had the opportunity to hear firsthand about some of the wellness-related programs available at schools throughout the CPS system.

As CPS moves forward with the programs outlined at the January forum, it is my hope that those responsible for the programs' success take to heart the approach offered by Kumanyika and Grier. To effectively battle childhood obesity, the programs must be tailored to reflect the needs of the children living in communities that suffer most from childhood obesity.

Save School-Based Health Clinics

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has proposed massive cuts in Cook County's health care system, which will result in cuts to seven school-based clinics.

For more than 14 years, school-based health centers have been an important vehicle for providing health care to Chicago public school students. Common sense, backed up by research, says that prevention is an important part of any health care system -- both from the perspective of promoting health and also for controlling health care costs. 

School-based health clinics focus on prevention, and not only in the form of annual check-up and immunizations. They are also important places for educating students about healthy lifestyles and managing chronic conditions.

With the high rates among Chicago public school students of both asthma and obesity, school-based health centers are particularly vital, and we urge the County Board to maintain these important programs.