More Than 100 Parents Join Together to Make New Strides that Improve Student Wellness

At HSC, we’re thrilled to see parents joining together to improve the health and wellness of their school communities. Earlier this month, Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables brought more than 100 parents from across the city to the National Museum of Mexican Art. Many attending parents have already organized school wellness teams, others attended for the first time after seeing the positive effects of parents coming together and engaging with their schools.

Over a healthy breakfast (prepared by parent member and chef Hilda Cazares), we made some new strides:

• PUHS leaders presented members with key information about new wellness policies in Chicago schools, among them the new Snack and Beverage Policy.
• Healthy Schools Campaign Vice President of Urban Affairs Guillermo Gomez encouraged parents to take leadership at their schools by bringing together principals, wellness team champions and other parents to ensure that these new wellness policies are implemented successfully.
• We empowered  parents to be reinforcers of new wellness policies, including advocacy for healthy school fundraisers, quality recess and physical activity programs, and healthier school meals.

We were excited to see all participants, including local school council member Jose Hernandez, a parent who previously served on a Chicago Public Schools recess task force; Raquel Reyes, a local school council member from Daley Academy; and wellness team member and Liliana Hernandez, a local school council member at Eli Whitney Elementary and wellness team parent leader.

We at Healthy Schools Campaign look forward to the great things that parent leaders will accomplish in 2013!

Learn more: Read our recap of the tremendous progress that Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables made in 2012.