Healthy Schools Campaign

Seasonal Herb Spotlight: Lavender

by Lana Buseman

Last summer I grew my own herbs on my kitchen deck and grew basil, rosemary and parsley. This summer I am in a new apartment and lacking outdoor space, but I didn’t want that to be the end of my fresh, home-grown culinary herbs. I like the idea of having something fresh growing in my apartment, and it is a much cheaper option if you like to use fresh herbs often in your cooking. I went to Home Depot to pick out some basil, rosemary and parsley and found you can also grow your own lavender. I had to pick some up and see what I could do with it. I now have four herbs growing in my “herb-an garden” and I am finding that lavender can be used for more than just freshening up your laundry.

Lavender is known to settle stomachs, help cure insomnia and even decrease anxiety. Lavender is a great substitute for rosemary in marinades for fish or chicken. It can be steeped for tea and can be made into lavender sugar.

My first experiment with my lavender was Lavender Lemonade. It’s like regular lemonade but with a slight floral flavor that is very refreshing. Lavender flavor can be overwhelming so just be sure to start with a small amount and keep adding if you want a stronger flavor.

Lavendar Lemonade

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. dried lavender
• ½ cup sugar 
(agave or stevia can be substituted)
• 2 ½ cups water
 + 2 more cups
• 3 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 ½ cups of water with sugar and lavender.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Cover, and let stand one hour.
4. Strain out the lavender with a sieve and place liquid in a large jug.
5. Add lemon juice and additional water. Stir well.
6. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with ice cubes.

Enjoy!

Announcing the 2012 Green Cleaning Webinar Series!

Healthy Schools Campaign is excited to announce our Green Cleaning Webinars this summer! The series of online seminars will feature national leaders and on-the-ground experts on creating and maintaining a green cleaning program for your schools. These helpful sessions are free of charge to all participants!

Learn about each webinar session below.

 

Learn from the Leaders
Tuesday, July 17 (1-2 p.m. Central)

Winners of the most recent Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities will discuss the highlights of their programs and share tips and strategies for starting and sustaining a green cleaning program. A question and answer session will follow the webinar and will give participants the chance to interact with and learn from the Green Clean Award winners.

 

Green Cleaning and Infection Control
Tuesday, July 31 (1-2 p.m. Central)

Building engineers and content experts will discuss strategies for controlling the spread of infections while maintaining healthy school environments. Speakers will discuss the challenges and solutions involved in making infection control a regular part of your green cleaning program.

 

Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities
Tuesday, August 7 (1-2 p.m. Central)
This webinar will focus on the what, why and how-to of the Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities. Presenters will highlight best practices and practical tips for easily completing the application and will provide background and history on the award. The goal of the webinar is to make it easy for schools and their partners to apply for the award.

 

New Technology and Green Cleaning
Wednesday, August 15 (1-2 p.m. Central)

Building engineers and content experts will discuss the latest technology in green cleaning and review new products they are using in the schools they serve. In addition, speakers will discuss strategies for creating buy-in among cleaning staff for new green cleaning technology and building support for green cleaning programs throughout the school community.

 

Making the Financial Case for Green Cleaning
Wednesday, August 29 (1-2 p.m. Central)

Speakers will discuss the financial benefits of green cleaning and share strategies they have identified for saving in product and labor costs. Speakers will share their own stories of implementing cost-effective green cleaning programs.

 

 

Plus: Be sure to check out HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools! Click here to learn more and order your free copy of the guide.

School of the Future Competition Spotlights Students' Vision and Ingenuity

By Mark Bishop, HSC vice president of policy and communications

Students can change the world – I saw it happen one day not long ago.

University Middle School students display their project

Earlier this year, I had the honor of serving as a judge on CEFPI’s School of the Future competition. In HSC terms, the School of the Future competition is like Cooking up Change, but for student architects. CEFPI challenges middle school students to design, build a model of and articulate a vision for the school of the future: a school that facilitates learning, challenges our sense of complacency, and does it all sustainably.

What these students did was incredible.

Highfield Humanitites College students share their School of the Future project

The day-long judging panel included presentations from six teams from as far away as the UK. But the ones that touched me most were the two winning teams from Tucson, Arizona and Wasilla, Alaska.

The Teeland Middle School team's project

The team from Teeland Middle School in Wasilla, Alaska saw their school of the future as an opportunity to look into their community and use their school for change. In their community they saw a crisis of homelessness, they saw an ever-expanding landfill eating up valuable land, and the saw challenges in creating opportunities for outdoor activity because it’s just so cold. Their vision for the school of the future tackled these issues by building a school on reclaimed landfill space, incorporating public housing into the school complex, and creating running and walking paths in an indoor space flooded with natural light from windows made with transparent solar cells and aerogel. 

Imago Dei Middle School student team

The team from Imago Dei Middle School in Tuscon, Arizona took a different approach. Rather than looking in, they looked out and chose to tackle problems facing students in Africa. Rather than looking to technology to solve their problems, they strived to identify simple strategies that would apply in an environment so far from their home. In the end, they created a building from materials that are readily available in the local environment -– plastic bottles with metal mesh to create supporting walls (which simultaneously addressed a big waste problem) and bamboo for interior support. By orienting the building to face the prevailing winds, their school of the future was able to harness the wind to keep the classrooms cooler and minimize mosquitoes. The students shared their lessons on the importance of simplicity and only using what is needed for design and for living.

Seneca Middle School presents their project before a panel of judges

As the day progressed, I could only think about how these students were being given tools and skills to change the world. I teared up a few times thinking about what my son will be doing when he hits the sixth grade and what he might learn that will help make our schools and our world better.

Newtown Middle School students showcase their project

I was so impressed throughout the day at the level of work, dedication, and knowledge that these students exhibited. Congratulations to them as well as to CEFPI for another wildly successful competition.

Elementary School’s Annual Play Promotes Healthy Eating with “The Snack Wizard"

by Alyse Festenstein, HSC's Go for the Gold intern

Thomas Hoyne Elementary School parents, teachers, and students filled the school gymnasium recently for the all-school performance of “The Snack Wizard.” Directed by Physical Education Teacher Paulette Franklin, students participated in a creative take-off of The Wizard of Oz -- only this time Dorothy found herself caught in “The Land of Candy.” I was lucky enough to join a couple of other Healthy Schools Campaign interns to enjoy the performance and celebrate the success of the students and inspiring school leaders behind the production.

“The Snack Wizard” story follows Dorothy and her friends as they set out on a quest to find the perfect, healthy snack and to defeat Bad Witch Calorie for good. As they travel along the Chocolate Road, they meet tempting, unhealthy snacks like the flaming hots and jelly beans, who try to lure them away from their goal. Along with showcasing their knowledge of healthy food choices, the K-8 students impressed the audience with their ability to move their feet and exercise. Throughout the show, they danced, flipped, and cheered to promote their message of health and wellness. Check a snippet of the play below!

 

Principal Yvonne Armour-Calhoun introduced the play as an effort inspired by the First Lady’s Let’s Move program and highlighted the school’s recent accomplishments around healthy eating and nutrition education. Thomas Hoyne has a new, full salad bar in the cafeteria, which Calhoun said both students and staff enjoy on a daily basis. Franklin echoed the importance of the related initiatives in schools and said these are especially important because many students come to school without the knowledge needed to make healthy eating choices. Her motivation for directing the play stemmed from worries about her students’ futures and the prevalence of childhood obesity and chronic disease.

“I just got tired of seeing kids with those hot chips every single day,” she said. “[Nutrition education] is important because a lot of kids don’t understand what is going into their bodies. That’s my biggest concern. They could get heart disease before they get to have a real full life.”

Thomas Hoyne staff such as sixth-grade teacher Tracy Guzman strongly supported the performance and school health and wellness efforts. She has seen the benefits of healthy eating and physical education in her classroom. Guzman shared the vision of efforts connecting health and learning (such as HSC’s Health in Mind) and said “good nutrition primarily translates into the classroom because it helps students focus better. It really helps them have a clear mind.” She also mentioned that she tries to model healthy behavior for her students.  

Congratulations to Thomas Hoyne Elementary School and everyone involved in “The Snack Wizard” for creating an engaging, educational performance and implementing programs to make these choices more widely available students!

Finding Fresh Food in the Farm Bill

By Ashley Hofmann, HSC public policy intern

What’s the Farm Bill have to do with school food? A lot, actually. And it has the potential to do a lot more if Congress votes to promote healthy food by making it physically and financially accessible through updates to the Farm Bill.

As it relates to school food, the Farm Bill acts mostly as a funding mechanism through the purchase of farm commodities, support of fresh produce programs, grants aimed at developing local supply chains, and provisions to encourage schools to source locally-grown food. The problem arises in funding levels for different types of crops. In 2010, for example, corn and soybean growers received $5.5 billion in subsidies. But most of this isn’t the kind of corn-on-the-cob you grill or the edamame you add to your salad; it ends up as silage, ethanol, and high-fructose corn syrup. This type of spending policy is currently prioritizing fuel and feed over fresh food.

The 2008 Farm Bill took steps to support healthy eating by requiring the USDA to spend more of its budget on fresh food -- $200 million per year. (In case you don’t have a calculator handy, this means corn and soybeans received 28 times more funding than fresh apples, oranges, and broccoli.) Last week the Senate passed their version of the bill, named the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, which increases funding for community food projects and farmers markets, and introduces a farm-to-school pilot program in five states.

At HSC, we commend Congress on their steps to increase support for fresh, healthy food through the Farm Bill and urge our elected officials to continue making changes that will support student health and wellness. HSC makes the following recommendations for the Farm Bill:

• Increase the required amount USDA spends on fresh fruits and vegetables to support the nutrition guidelines set forth in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
• Provide commodity support for the School Breakfast Program at a value of 10 cents per meal served to help schools meet new nutrition standards and rising numbers of participants
• Allow school districts to apply for Community Food Projects Competitive Grants to encourage their participation in building local food networks, supporting local growers, and bringing fresh produce to children

Now that the Senate has taken positive steps toward these recommendations, we look to the House to ensure the Farm Bill continues to promote healthy food options by providing adequate funding for school meals and grants to local farm-to-school networks. Representatives need to hear that fresh, local food for students is a priority. We encourage you to send your representative a letter urging support of fresh, local food in the Farm Bill. 

Take action by sending a letter here.

Over the next few weeks we’ll hear from several guest bloggers about the bill’s impact on the future of school food, obesity rates, and community food initiatives. In the meantime, check out this infographic examining the disconnect between the government’s nutritional recommendations and funding levels for fuel and feed.

Stay posted for updates!

Plus: Interested in learning more about the Farm Bill? Check out HSC's Farm Bill fact sheet!

Weekend Physical Activity Boost: Exercising at the Beach

By Lizzy Parker, HSC communications intern

Lizzy Parker is a rising junior at Colorado College with a passion for health and fitness. In January of 2012, she became a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. As an intern at HSC this summer, she looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for and knowledge about physical activity—and, that it can be fun!

Heading to the beach this weekend? Take advantage of the terrain to incorporate some physical activity into your rest time.

The sand is the perfect surface for exercise because you must engage important stabilizer muscles to maintain balance. As a result, your muscles will work harder, and you will continue to feel the burn for hours post-exercise (don’t worry, that’s a good thing!).

To not feel too regimented—it’s the weekend after all— break up your exercise bouts into 5-10 minute increments. Make it a goal to put down your book and get up from your towel or beach chair every 30 minutes. Take a short walk or run, experimenting with various speeds and wetness of sand. If you are having some difficulty, stick to the sand closest to the water; it will be firm, and therefore easier for you to balance.  Need more of a challenge? Tread only the dry stuff. 

If jogging becomes repetitive, change it up. Invite friends and family to join and try:

• Jumping jacks: A full body work out that will engage important muscles in your legs, arms, and core. 
• Skipping: Great for getting that heart rate up, fast! Throw your arms up, gain momentum, and drive your knee towards the sky. Just be mindful of your landing in order to protect your knees. 
• Walking lunges: Aim for a 90-degree angle at each knee. Do not allow the front knee to go past your toes. 

It may be too hot to exercise on land. If that’s the case, take to the water! Swim, jump waves, or just float on your back. See who can reach the sand bar first. The possibilities are endless.

A day at the beach can be more than getting ahead in your book and enjoying the sun. Be creative and join your kids for some heart healthy activity!

Remember: The recommendations on this blog are not meant to be a substitute for recommendations from your physician. Take care to consult with your physician if you have questions or concerns about beginning a new exercise regimen. As always, if something hurts, don’t do it. Know your body’s limits and refrain from pushing yourself too far, too fast.  

Filling the Nutrition Gap with Summer Food Programs

by Alyse Festenstein, HSC's Go for the Gold intern

Summer in Chicago is here, and for 400,000+ CPS students this means not only a two-and-a-half month break from class instruction, but also time away from school breakfast and lunch. Eighty-six percent of CPS students qualify for either free or reduced-price meals based on family income; the meals they eat at school through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs provide the fuel students need to focus and fully participate in school. That need for healthy meals does not end with the last school bell.

Nationally, school food leaders are recognizing the challenge this poses for millions of American families. In a recent USDA blog, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted the importance of addressing children’s nutritional needs throughout the year. “Proper nutrition is critical for a child’s ability to learn, grow, and be ready to achieve their dreams – and hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process,” Vilsack wrote. “Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again and can make children more prone to illness and other health issues year-round.”

To address the challenge of ensuring children are well-nourished through the summer months, the USDA implemented the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in 1975. The program is administered at the state level by state education agencies like the Illinois State Board of Education and sponsored locally by organizations such as schools, summer camps, or community non-profits. These groups can provide free nutritious meals to children 18 and younger in communities where at least half of the resident families earn incomes at or below 185% of the Federal poverty level.

In addition to SFSP, the USDA has rolled out a new program, The Seamless Summer Option, to encourage school food providers to continue service throughout the summer and during school holidays.  The assistance these programs provide is vital for low-income families, especially because research shows greater food insecurity during these summer months. Last year, over 4,700 sponsors participated in the program and served more than 137 million meals to kids in need of a healthy meal through the summer break. Because of efforts to increase sponsoring sites, Secretary Vilsack notes that these numbers are expected to grow this summer.  

While there is undeniable need for SFSP program in the Chicago area and across the nation, both national and state wide data indicate that the program is underutilized and many children are not receiving the services they need. Most recent statistics show that during the summer proceeding the 2009-2010 school year, only 14.3 children in Illinois participated in the program for every 100 children in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which is fairly consistent with the national averages. This participation rate actually represents a 15% increase from the previous year and a 25% increase in the number of sponsoring sites throughout the state. Somehow the overwhelming majority of children in need are not accessing these summer food programs.

The crucial question remains: why are children not receiving these healthy meals in the summer?

It’s a complicated issue, but there seem to be many more variables involved during this time that prevent children from getting their meals. According to a study conducted by National Food Service Management Institute, barriers to program success exist both from the sponsor’s point of view and that of eligible children. Sponsors cited the volume of paperwork and unprepared staff as the main reasons they might not want to continue with the program. Additionally, they reported that many children could not participate because they lacked transportation, or their families did not know about the program or its benefits. The 2010 Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act made slight changes to SFSP that may help address these barriers in the future.  Schools are now required to help with summer food outreach, sponsoring agencies will see a decrease in required paperwork, and there is no longer a cap on the number of sites or children served.

Organizations in many U.S. cities are working together to design creative, local programs to ensure children in their community are able to have healthy meals this summer. New Haven Connecticut’s Tim Cipriano, the executive director of school food services, has been featured in the news recently for the city’s new food truck program. By delivering meals to children and harnessing the buzz around food trucks, he is addressing the transportation issue and stigma associated with summer meals at school. His idea has inspired other school districts, and this summer he plans to serve 40,000 bagged lunches. Chicago has also taken steps to improve summer nutrition. Through the effort of The Chicago Summer Food Work Group, participation rates have increased 9% in the last year alone. The group worked to include informational fliers in all backpacks of CPS students and collaborated with the Illinois State Board of Education to develop a mapping tool used to target the neighborhoods in greatest need.

Hundreds of locations across Chicago will sponsor free meals and snacks for children this summer. For information regarding locations and dates of program service, contact the Illinois Hunger Coalition at 1-800-359-2163 or visit the Chicago Housing Authority website for an interactive map of sponsoring sites. Let’s work together to make sure our children have healthy meals this summer and can return to school ready to learn in the fall.

Fit to Learn Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers this Summer

by Kristi Cox, HSC training and program manager

Fit to Learn professional development session

Calling all Chicago teachers! I’d like to invite you to be part of Fit to Learn, an innovative professional development program from Healthy Schools Campaign.

Teachers who have taken part in this new program have described it as "awesome," "realistic and helpful," and "right on track." Participants appreciated the "many ideas that are easy to implement in a classroom setting," "lots of great lessons," and the opportunity to brainstorm and collaborate with other teachers who care about wellness. Thanks to an exceptional response from teachers, we’re excited to offer Fit to Learn again this summer.

Through this experience, teachers will develop and share the skills for integrating nutrition education and fitness into classroom lessons that meet Illinois Common Core Strategies in math, reading, science, social studies, art and music.

This training is open to CPS teachers of grades K-5 and is available at no cost to teachers. Teachers will receive CPDUs for participation.

WHO: Chicago Public Schools teachers of grades K-5

WHAT: Training to integrate healthy eating and physical activity into the classroom

WHEN: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday July 18 or Wednesday August 1

WHERE: The Center for Green Technology, 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. Chicago, IL 60612 [map]

COST: Available at no cost to teachers

APPLY: Teachers, click here to apply! Deadline for applications is July 13, 2012.

*****

Presenting Fit to Learn resources

What are the benefits?

Perhaps most importantly, Fit to Learn offers an opportunity to prepare students for increased academic achievement and reduced absenteeism: studies show that when kids are physically active and have a healthy school environment, learning and test scores improve. Teachers will receive CPDUs for participation. Other benefits include:

• Free resources, new lesson plans and a practical kit for creating healthier classrooms; raffles each day for curricula and resources worth hundreds of dollars
• Opportunity to focus on teaching the whole child and develop new skills
• Leadership opportunities to cultivate a culture of wellness at school
• Connections and opportunities to share ideas with other teachers who care about healthy eating, physical activity and wellness
• Becoming part of the Go for the Gold campaign and help your school meet the high standards for food, fitness and nutrition education that First Lady Michelle Obama is challenging schools to achieve

Of course, trainings include both breakfast and lunch.

To learn more and apply, visit www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/FitToLearn. Remember that the deadline to apply is July 13, 2012 Questions? Contact me by email or at 312-419-1810 (office).

Plus: Check out stories from Fit to Learn alums on HSC's blog!

Institute of Medicine Recommends Holistic Approach to Obesity Prevention

By Ashley Hofmann, HSC public policy intern

Last month, the Institute of Medicine released a comprehensive report outlining necessary changes to American culture to combat the rising obesity rates among children and adults. With so much focus on the current obesity epidemic, this report stands out because it offers multiple strategies that, when working together, can speed up prevention efforts and turn around the increase in obesity rates in just a few years.

For an in-depth look at the complete five recommendations and corresponding action steps the The Committee on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention prescribed, the 462-page document can be found here. For a quick overview, check out the "at a glance" infographic at the end of this post.

The committee used a systems approach to analyze obesity prevention measures that would be most effective when implemented together. They specifically looked at how strategies would reinforce each other to have a greater impact or create unintended side effects. An important factor in these strategies is time: the committee focused on changes that can be implemented now to prevent rising obesity rates over the coming decade. With this whole-system approach, five areas, or environments, were identified as places where it will be most important to make changes in the daily lives of Americans. These areas include:

• Increased opportunities for physical activity
• Wider availability of healthy foods and beverages
• Marketing and education messages to the public emphasizing physical activity and nutrition
• Health care systems and places of work that offer obesity prevention support
• Schools as a national focal point of obesity prevention

For each environment, the report makes suggestions of who should be involved and what steps they can take to assist in obesity prevention. Everyone plays a role in this effort, from local city councils to members of Congress, from foundations to private business leaders, from local education agencies to the USDA.

A significant feature of this report is that schools were identified as one of the most critical places to implement changes.

The committee points out that children spend half of their waking hours at school facilities and consume one third to one half of their calories while at school. As a result, any positive changes made in this environment can have a huge impact on current childhood obesity rates. They can also have a powerful impact on the future rates of adult obesity, because many overweight or obese children grow up to become overweight or obese adults. The committee proposed three strategies to prevent obesity in schools:

• Require 60 minutes of physical activity for students every school day
• Increase the nutritional standards of the foods made available to students
• Teach students the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices for lifelong wellness

The committee takes thoughtful steps in mentioning the important role of leadership and community participation in making the recommended changes for obesity prevention a reality, further acknowledging that low-income families often live in neighborhoods without access to many health resources and lack the organized voice to fully represent their views.  

This recommendation connects closely to work HSC does on the ground, empowering students, parents, teachers and many others in communities most affected by health disparities to create healthy environments where all children can grow and learn.

Students who participate in HSC’s Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest learn to create and cook healthy menus. The team of Parents United for Healthy Schools, an HSC-led coalition, has advocated successfully for recess and stronger nutrition standards in Chicago Public Schools. Teachers who complete the Fit to Learn professional development program are taught practical ways to bring health and wellness into the classroom experience. Through the Go for the Gold campaign, over 75 Chicago schools have made improvements in health and wellness.

HSC continues to work closely with many stakeholders to improve health and wellness opportunities in Chicago and across the nation and applauds the committee’s efforts to shed light on the system-level forces that are shaping the obesity epidemic and the multi-level changes needed to reverse the trend.

Plus: Check out the "report at a glance" graphic from the Institute of Medicine, below, for an overview of the issues and recommendations!

Source: Institute of Medicine

Green Ribbon Schools and You: A Healthy School Includes IAQ

By Tracy Enger, U.S. EPA IAQ Tools for Schools

You may know that your kids have healthy food options at school, but do you know how healthy the air is that they breathe? Ensuring a healthy school environment involves more than just nutritious lunches, gym class and recycling programs. Indoor air quality (IAQ) and a proactive IAQ management program are critical to children’s health, wellbeing and productivity.

The U.S. Department of Education’s new Green Ribbon Schools initiative gives green and healthy schools the recognition that they deserve. Green Ribbon Schools is the first federal recognition program to showcase schools from across the country that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, and protect the health of their students and staff.

To be considered a Green Ribbon School, schools must be taking specific actions to ensure a green and healthy environment. We at EPA are proud that the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance is prominently featured as a recommended resource for improving the health and performance of students and staff, and can be used to meet “Pillar Two” of the Green Ribbon Schools application.

The IAQ Tools for Schools guidance is widely used throughout the country and provides school districts with the framework and tools to create and maintain an integrated IAQ management program. Implementing the low- to no-cost solutions in IAQ Tools for Schools guidance can have a measurable and profound impact on the health, productivity and attendance rate of our teachers and students.

In fact, 11 Green Ribbon Schools winners are previous IAQ Tools for Schools National Award winners as well!

To learn more on how to create a green and healthy school by proactively managing indoor air quality, I invite you to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s first Green Strides Webinar: Discover Why Good IAQ is Essential for Green and Healthy Schools on Thursday, June 21, 2012, from 1 – 2 p.m. EDT.  

During this webinar, Omaha Public Schools, NE and Montgomery County Public Schools, MD ─ both Green Ribbon Schools and IAQ Tools for Schools National Award winners ─ will discuss why IAQ is an essential component of their school environmental health management programs. These two school districts will also share specifically how IAQ Tools for Schools guidance helped them create a comprehensive and effective IAQ management plan.

With so much happening in the green and healthy schools movement, I encourage you to sign up for this free webinar and learn how IAQ Tools for Schools can help you create healthier learning environments and become a 2013 Green Ribbon Schools awardee.

Friday Recipe: Blueberry Chai “Pudding”

by Lana Buseman

There is nothing better in the summer than fresh fruit on a hot day. I absolutely love blueberries and living in the Midwest, it is easy to get great fresh blueberries when they are in season. This berry has so many positives. The blue skin is packed with antioxidants, and they are literally “brain food”; some studies have linked blueberries to a decrease in symptoms related to Alzheimer’s!

Because this recipe uses Greek yogurt, which has a thicker consistency than regular yogurt, I think this recipe turns out more like a pudding -- which means it can be both a breakfast dish or a healthy dessert! The cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg give this pudding a spicy and sweet kick that makes it unique and very tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 carton non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon agave

 Directions

1. Puree blueberries, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and agave in a blender.
2. Whip pureed liquid into Greek yogurt.
3. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a fresh mint leaf.

Enjoy!

What is Parents United for Healthy Schools?

Parents United for Healthy Schools brings together parents in Chicago’s Latino and African-American communities to promote health and wellness in school. With knowledge and skills developed through training and shared experiences, parents form school wellness teams to support healthy changes in their school and champion food and fitness. Last year, 17 of the Chicago schools that were recognized for meeting national HealthierUS School Challenge standards for nutrition and physical activity were supported by Parents United wellness teams.

Karina Macedo, an exemplary parent leader at Greene Elementary, summarizes Parents United’s efforts this way: “We are sharing our experiences, sharing all we know. We can help our families and community. Parents United has all the tools we need to learn and help our kids.”

Check out the video below to hear more from Karina and learn about the achievements of this extraordinary group. 

 

For the latest Parents United for Healthy Schools updates, check out our blog updates.

Fit to Learn Teachers Recognized as Champions of Wellness

In classrooms all over the city of Chicago, students are moving, playing, and learning about the importance of physical activity and nutrition with the help of teachers who have graduated from HSC’s Fit to Learn professional development program. Now prepared with classroom lessons and a comprehensive skill set, this group of teachers is already engaging their students in meaningful activities that complement classroom learning and promote health in schools. At Healthy Schools Campaign, we are celebrating over a dozen Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers who have now completed the Fit to Learn professional development program. The teachers gathered at nearby Wishbone restaurant last month to accept recognition for their achievements. Joined by program administrators, instructors, and school principals, the graduates celebrated their accomplishments and reflected on the strategies they have used to empower students and staff to live healthy lifestyles.

Fit to Learn graduates pose for a picture with HSC, CPS and Mindful Practices representatives

Through Fit to Learn, CPS teachers from grades K-5 gained practical approaches for integrating health and wellness into classroom curriculum. They participated in one-day training session and additional evening booster sessions. During these sessions they became familiar with the body of knowledge documenting the link between health and academic achievement, and learned how to incorporate wellness into subjects ranging from social studies to physical education. They reviewed existing curricula, participated in games and activities, and adapted the information to create lesson plans tailored to their own classroom needs.

During the graduation celebration, teachers expressed gratitude for the program and hope for creating last change in their school environments. Physical Education Teacher Mark Franklin of Charles W. Earle Elementary School described the Fit to Learn program as filling an important gap in existing professional development opportunities for Chicago area educators. While trained in subjects such as physiology and Kinesiology, he had never been exposed to the benefits of incorporating yoga in the school setting. However, after Carla Tantillo, founder of Mindful Practices and a Fit to Learn facilitator, presented on using relaxation techniques to modify energy levels, Mark tried out some activities in his PE classes. He found that while students needed a little initial encouragement, they enjoyed trying out new things and were engaged in the activities.

Fit to Learn graduates agreed that the program has helped them promote wellness in the classroom. Mary Holmes of Oscar DePriest Elementary School commented that it is something all teachers can do to help empower students. When breakfast arrives in Mary’s classroom, she eats with the children and leads by example. She sees this simple act of participation as effective strategy to teach healthy behaviors. For more great ideas and stories from leaders like Mary, visit the Fit to Learn section of the HSC blog.

We look forward to hearing more about the Fit to Learn graduates' accomplishments in the coming school year. Again, congratulations to all Fit to Learn graduates! We are now accepting applicants for the 2012-2013 Fit to Learn program! For more information and to register, click here.

To learn more about Fit to Learn or if you have questions regarding registration, please contact Kristi Cox by email or at 312-419-1810.

Hop, Skip, and Jump Your Way to Fitness: A Fun Physical Activity to Stay Healthy!

By Kristi Cox, HSC training + program manager

Today, we'll spotlight the art of jump rope! As students and adults across the country get ready for summer, this activity offers a fun and easy way to work physical activity into your day.

According to the Jump Rope Institute, just 10 minutes of jumping rope provides the same health benefits as 30 minutes of jogging, two sets of tennis singles, 18 holes of golf, or 720 yards of swimming! This simple yet complex training technique is a bone builder, tones the legs and develops the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Ideal for adults and children alike!

Here’s how to get started:

First, you’ll need a good pair of sneakers and a jump rope. Jump ropes come in a variety of designs including ones that are both adjustable and weighted. These are great to boost your workout intensity. Ropes range in cost from $8 to $30. This $8 rope gets great reviews!

Next, find a spot with plenty of room to accommodate your workout. This can be in a gym, basement, or outdoors.

Now, start jumping! Start off with trying to jump non-stop for one minute. Rest. Start up again, slowly building up to 10 minutes without resting. For some, this may take a few weeks.

Explore the variety of jumping styles that can be used as part of your workout here.

Now go hop to it!

A Jaw-Dropper: Day Campers Asked To Bring Four Liters of Soda, Two Dozen Cookies Per Week

By Kristi Cox, HSC training + program manager

As I turned on my computer this morning, I noticed a headline from one of my favorite blogs, The Lunch Tray: "Day Campers Required To Bring Four Liters of Soda, Two Dozen Cookies Per Week". 

I thought, what? That can’t be right. Then I started to read the post and my jaw literally dropped open as I continued to read. A parent had sent The Lunch Tray a copy of literature from the day camp, stating that it required parents to send with their children four liters of soda per week (preferably Coke, Dr. Pepper, Orange, or other “standard flavors” in regular or diet) as well as two dozen cookies or brownies ... per week!

As I continued to scan the blog, I noticed the camp’s lunch menu was included. Here are the offerings:

Monday-Domino’s Pizza

Tuesday-James Coney Island (hot dogs)

Wednesday- Chick fil-A (fried chicken sandwich)

Thursday- James Coney Island (hot dogs, again)

Friday-Domino’s Pizza (again)

Yikes! Where’s the fruit? How about a few vegetables?

At a time when childhood obesity rates are reaching epidemic proportions, this is clearly sending the wrong message.  Trying to get kids to embrace healthier food choices is hard enough. As a parent with two “tweenage” kids, I know they’ll eat whatever is in front of them, healthy or not. Even though we eat healthy at home, making these types of foods readily available at camp or school only undermines the healthy habits I’ve worked so hard to establish.

At Healthy Schools Campaign, I help run a program called Fit to Learn. This teacher professional development program is designed to help teachers create classroom environments that support health and wellness, from their lessons to their management strategies to the way they approach celebrations and much more. One idea we offer our teachers is to eliminate junk food in the classroom -- as rewards, for fundraising or in celebrations -- and to offer other incentives or healthy food instead.

Teachers who participate in this program understand the importance of health and wellness and how this affects students’ ability to learn. They’re working hard with their administration, co-workers and parents to make these changes in their schools. Making health and wellness part of their daily dialog is what is going to make a difference. They realize that it’s up to the entire community to help these kids develop healthy habits. All of us who care about kids’ health and learning – teachers, parents, coaches and even the community leaders who organize day camps in the summer – have a chance to support children’s wellness not just through what we say but also with the snacks we serve and the examples we model.

The Lunch Tray post asks, "will we ever get to the point when nutritious, wholesome food is the baseline fare for kids?" I hope we will, and am so impressed with the Fit to Learn teachers who are making this the norm in their classes. To read more about their efforts, check out some of the stories here. 

Media Spotlights Cooking up Change Student Chefs

Not too long ago, students from across the country gathered in our nation’s capitol to help transform the future of school food. Cooking up Change is a spectacular platform for students to join the national dialogue around healthy school meals. The student chefs were the stars of the day, at the event and in the media! Thanks to the local and national news teams that came to spotlight these talented student chefs.

Photographers capture photos of Arne Duncan’s visit with the Cooking up Change student chefs

Prior to preparing their meal, student chefs from Chicago, Denver, Jacksonville, Santa Ana, St. Louis, and Winston-Salem met with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who wished the students good luck.

The Cooking up Change Chicago team shared the importance of healthy cooking and eating in addressing childhood obesity with PBS Newshour:

 

Following the contest, the student chefs spoke at a briefing on school food with Pew Charitable Trust. Cooking up Change National co-chair Karen Duncan highlighted their leadership, creativity, and efforts to transform school food.

We’ve already shared the Santa Ana team’s excitement and hopes. Back home, they were featured in the local paper and on television. They also presented their meal with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and their chef mentor Katy Clark after winning the contest. The Orange County Register also blogged about their win here. Cooking Teen also focused on the winning team.

Check out some of the other exciting media features below:

• Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - “Students revamp school lunches at national competition” (5/24/2012) Coverage also appears on Infozine.
• McClatchy DC - “Students give Congress a mouthful” (5/23/12), video also available on Medill DC.
• Prevent Obesity’s blog - “"Cooking Up Change" with Student Chefs” (5/22/12)
• Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) - Hungry? (5/22/12)
• Department of Education’s “Homeroom” blog - “National Healthy Lunch Finals Held at ED” (5/22/12)
• Associated Press - “Winston-Salem students to compete for lunch title” (5/21/12) Article also appears online at Washington Examiner, The Ledger, Press Democrat, and Herald Tribune
• WFLD-TV (FOX affiliate) - “Chicago Cooking up Change Winners Exhibit Award-Winning Recipe” (5/16/12)
• James Beard Foundation’s “Delights and Prejudices” blog - “JBF Partners with Cooking up Change in the Fight for Better School Lunch” (5/15/12)

We’d also like to thank Washington D.C.’s local news service for spotlighting the contest. 

Congratulations to the amazing student chefs who participated in Cooking up Change!

 Bonus: Check out the Department of Education’s Flickr photos from the Cooking up Change event.

Cooking up Change National Healthy Cooking Contest Winners Reflect, Look Ahead

It has been quite a whirlwind for Cooking up Change champion Santa Ana student chefs Alex, Ivan, and Ashley since they won first place in the national healthy cooking contest.

We had a chance to catch up with the Valley High School culinary students as they reflected on their national win.

“It feels really emotional, really exciting,” said team member Alex. “We worked really hard to create a dish that was under a dollar and with the nutritional processes. It was quite challenging, but overall it was amazing.”

The first-time competitors prepared lemon and spinach chicken with Tuscan bean salad and cinnamon poached pears. (Pictured left)

A tearful chef instructor Monica Aguilar described the winning moment: “I was breathless, I was so very excited, beaming with pride for my students and what they've accomplished.”

“For the last three years, I’ve seen them grow amazingly,” she added. “In this last year with Cooking up Change, its been like a growth spurt for them. To see their character, their skill level, just the people they’ve come. It’s amazing and to see the transformation, it’s incredible.”

Each team member received a scholarship to further their education. All three aspiring chefs plan to attend Orange Coast College beginning this summer. Ivan is looking forward to starting his career. His teammate Ashley said her goal is to “continue our path, become culinary artists” and to continue to “take into deep consideration how being healthy is a actually a lifestyle. I’m looking forward to doing it in the future.”

Although they’ll be graduating this year and no longer eating school lunch, they understand the impact their meal has in creating meaningful change. “It might not impact us directly because we’re about to graduate from school, but we’ve seen the changes that people are trying make,” Ashley  said. “The fact that my niece and my little sister can have different food in school is better for everyone.”

The Cooking up Change Santa Ana student chefs Alex, Ashley, and Ivan

A proud Alex expressed his hopes for the future. “I hope we get a chance to serve our meal in our community and maybe local markets, present it and tell people more about it,” he said. “Thats my vision, I want to make a change. We are going to cook up change, we are going to change how everyone eats.”

Since returning home, the students have been featured in their local paper. They have also been spotlighted on NBC Los Angeles. Check out a special segment below:

Kudos Santa Ana!

A Look Inside: A Principal’s Perspective on School Wellness

By Brittany Wright, HSC media + outreach specialist

We’ve recently shared how the wellness team at Nathanael Greene Elementary created an engaging event and serves as a resource for the school community. One aspect of the parent-driven group’s success is their collaboration with the school’s administration.

Principal Michael Heidkamp has a hands-on approach to school wellness. He frequently attends the health and wellness committee meetings and supports parents in bringing resources to Greene Elementary.

The former teacher has served as a Chicago Public School principal for four years. “I’ve never lost the teacher’s perspective, which is having the privilege to go into a classroom every day and be a part of the learning experience and getting to know the students on a level that few people have the opportunity to do over a year,” said Heidkamp.

We spoke with Principal Heidkamp to learn how wellness and parent engagement work at the southwest Chicago school.

What role does wellness play in student success?

One of the things we attempt to do is broaden the conversation about student success beyond just test scores. When you’re talking about student success, you’re really talking about lifestyle choices.

Reading workshops are as much about the disposition of readers as they are about any skill or content knowledge. If you can get the disposition level then you’re talking about something that kids are going to carry with them for the rest of their lives -- not just something unloaded on a particular test. It’s the same thing with health and wellness, this idea of supporting students to really develop a lifestyle that makes living healthy normal and just what you do. Through afterschool programming and the health fair, we’re creating a “new normal” of what they should expect of themselves -- getting them to see beyond the immediate satisfaction of eating fries or chips to broadening that vision beyond the immediate moment. That’s been a big part of our push here. We do afterschool programming, we have yoga , karate, running club, folkloric dance, soccer with [community partners] Urban Initiatives, Girls in the Game, Girls on the Run, and regular seasonal sports programming.

All of that is a part of a bigger integrated and comprehensive approach to really creating a healthy lifestyle for our students.

How did Greene initially take an active role in promoting health and wellness?

It was very parent-driven. Karena Macedo [a parent leader], in conjunction with the previous administration, had worked very hard in getting the school certified by the HealthierUS School Challenge with the Gold of distinction. She actually went to the White House to receive the award for the school.

One of the issues is that as the principal, sometimes you can get very myopic in the sense that you're getting press for test scores and short term gains and short term results. I think it’s nice to have a strong group of parents that are constantly reminding you that their child’s experience is so much more than that.

What we’re about is educating the child to lead a responsible life. Part of that is respecting their intellectual gifts and what they can do as students, but also this other piece of understanding that how you treat yourself and how you view yourself and the choices you make with regard to your health are equally as important and deserve that same level of instruction and support. As a parent, it's great that my kid is doing well on a particular assessment, but what kind of person is my child becoming? What kind of values are they carrying? Those are the kinds of things that are less apparent when you do the number crunching off of the standardized test. It’s been really nice to have our parents out on the forefront saying there are other things we value.

Prinicpal Heidkamp and parents leaders discuss school wellness

How have health and wellness impacted the school community?

In terms of participation -- we’ve got close to 150 students that are involved in some sort of extracurricular sports activity. Last year, there weren’t these offerings. A good 25 percent of our student body is engaged in some sort of exercise in addition to a strong physical education program. The health and wellness committee organized the health night and we had over 300 people attend. That was all organized by the health and wellness committee -- that didn’t exist last year. They really put together a terrific event.

Kids are making the choice to participate, adults are making the choice to participate and parents are making the choice to take on the leadership role in increasing the resources that are available and really challenging the culture.

What can parents do to make health and wellness a priority in school?

You don’t need to wait for everyone to show up to a meeting. You can start a meeting with three people. If you already have a sense of what the needs are, you can send out a survey to parents. Your role and that of the entire of group will increase tremendously. You can start pulling people in to sponsor activities. People will start to come, more and more people are going to want to be a part of that.

In fact, as long as you have a good sense of the community, you can start reaching out for those resources. Build your group and your committee based on the roll-out of those different resources to get your name and mission out there. That is a very powerful way to attract other parents.

Kudos to Nathanael Greene Elementary parents, staff, and administrators on moving school wellness forward! Keep up the great work!

Calling All Green Clean Schools! Announcing the 2012 Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities

Does your school have a successful green cleaning program? Now you can spotlight this great work with the 2012 Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities!

This award, presented in collaboration with American School & University magazine and the Green Cleaning Network, recognizes the efforts of schools around the nation with outstanding green cleaning programs. Through national recognition, it honors schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices in their maintenance operations.

The judging criteria for the award are based on the Five Simple Steps to Green Cleaning outlined in HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

Winners will be profiled in a special supplement in the December issue of American School & University.

You can learn more or download an application here. Applications must be received by September 10, 2012.

Don't miss this opportunity to spotlight your school's green cleaning program!

Plus: Check out great stories about past winners of this prestigious award in the Green Clean Schools section of HSC's blog! You can also hear from past winners in HSC's Green Cleaning Webinars.

Friday Recipe: Hearty Gluten-Free Veggie Lasagna

By Lana Buseman

This recipe comes from my aunt, who has always inspired me to find my inner “gourmet.” She definitely has a knack for making food elegant in any capacity and has recently been working hard to keep her diet clean and as healthy as possible.

I love this recipe because it is full of veggies, it can easily be made gluten-free and it is just a great hearty meal. You can easily adapt it to fit your own food and diet goals. I was nervous that my version of her recipe wouldn’t turn out as great as it did when my aunt made it, but was very happy to discover that I was in fact easily able to recreate it!

It’s is a great dish for Meatless Mondays, and can be made dairy free as well. The recipe also sneaks in some extra veggies for an added bonus!

Ingredients

• One package of gluten free lasagna noodles (I like the ones from DeBoles, readily available at Whole Foods) or other lasagna noodles of your choice
• One carton of fat free cottage cheese (for a dairy-free recipe, substitute dairy-free cottage cheese)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 carton frozen spinach, thoroughly drained
• 2 zucchini*, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 package of shredded mozzarella (for a dairy-free version, use rice or tapioca cheese)
• 1.5 cartons of tomato sauce
• 1 package ground soy meat (or substitute additional veggies such as mushrooms if you prefer)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the soy meat and sauce together in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese, egg whites, parsley, spinach, shredded cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Steam the zucchini until tender.
5. Drain the frozen spinach in the sink under pressure and blot excess water.
6. Add a layer of noodles (uncooked), cheese mixture and slices of zucchini.
7. Add a layer of sauce and soy meat mixture.
8. Add noodles again and repeat for three layers.
9. The last layer should be the remaining sauce.
10. Bake for 50 minutes, covered.
11. Enjoy!

 *This recipe would also be great with eggplant, carrots or all three veggies!