Healthy Schools Campaign

"We need every voice:" School food advocacy beyond the $1 billion question

by Mark Bishop

Ann Cooper got it right on when she wrote this in the Washington Post the other day:

The administration has proposed an additional $1 billion per year for child nutrition in its fiscal 2011 budget. At first blush, given the state of the economy and the president's call for a three-year freeze on discretionary spending, this might seem like a win... But the truth is that $1 billion is a far cry from what's needed to get good food into schools. In fact, $1 billion for child nutrition per year translates to mere pennies for every school lunch. That's not even what it costs me to put a fresh apple on each lunch tray.

The truth is that this $1 billion per year increase is the largest increase in history of the child nutrition programs. This is a huge step forward. But we need to see this as the floor for our efforts, not a ceiling. 

In the weeks since President Obama released his proposed budget, we've seen the school food advocacy community align along two different responses:

The first side clearly sees that the $1 billion is not enough. According to the School Nutrition Association, schools are already losing an average of 35 cents for every meal they serve due to increases in food and overhead costs. So this side points out that increasing the funding by $1 billion may only cover ten to twenty cents of this existing shortfall for many schools. In some schools this money could truly mean the difference between serving whole grains or not, between additional fresh fruit or not -- but in many schools it could only be the difference between a school losing more money or losing less money. While this is very important, it's not the school food revolution that will create the far-reaching change we need.

The second side emphasizes that $1 billion is the largest increase ever proposed for this program and that schools desperately need this funding, even if it's not adequate to make sweeping reforms to the food program. This side sees the need to hunker down to make sure we get at least what's currently proposed in the budget. In this economy, competition for every penny in Congress is fierce. We need to defend every dollar that gets allocated for school nutrition programs. And there is a concern that fighting for more would mean taking energy and resources away from the current effort to find at least the $1 billion for the proposed budget. 

So what do to? Should we defend the proposed increase or advocate for the higher amount that we believe schools really need? Does asking for more than $1 billion put all the funding at risk, or does it give you a better chance of ensuring that schools get at least that much?

The reality is that right now, sides don't matter. We need every voice from every corner of the school community to speak up for more money and better food.

If you believe in voicing support for the proposed $1 billion, contact your legislators. If you believe in asking for $5 billion, contact your legislators.

We need every voice asking our legislators for increased funding for good food in schools. Ask for $5 billion, ask for $1 billion, ask for $1 per meal. Right now, the specifics matter less than the fact that you are telling Congress that school food funding must be a priority. We need our elected officials and administration staffers looking at budgets to find every dollar that can be allocated to children's health.

We need our legislators to hear voice after voice speaking up to say that child nutrition is important. Our elected leaders need to know that school food is a priority for the people they represent.

This is the moment to ask. So pick up the phone, send a letter, and let Congress know that increased funding for better school food  is an investment in our health, in our food system, and in our future. You have to decide how much that is worth.

As we work to raise awareness, we need Congress to raise the money. So first things first: now's the time to raise your voice.

Student Chefs Bring Healthy, Great-Tasting School Lunch to Congress, at Capitol Hill Briefing & House of Representatives Cafeteria

Student chefs Lashonda Livingston, Aljibri Reed, Henry Walton, Cari Smith and Jakaia Franklin prepare to present the healthy school lunch they designed at a briefing on Capitol Hill. March 2, 2010. Photos by Stacey Vaeth.

"I learned that change really can happen if we all help it along," said Cari Smith, a junior at Chicago's Tilden Career Community High School who traveled to Washington, DC this week to bring a healthy, great-tasting school lunch she and her team mates designed to Congress.

The students won first place in HSC's Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest with their meal of chicken-vegetable jambalaya, jalapeno cornbread and cucumber salad, a lunch that not only exceeds standards for nutrition but also impressed judges with its great taste, visual presentation and appeal to students.

On March 2, Cari and her classmate Aljibri Reed spoke at a Capitol Hill briefing on the future of school food alongside HSC founding executive director Rochelle Davis, Cooking up Change National Honorary Co-Chairs Karen Duncan (wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan) and Christie Vilsack (wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack), and Louise Esaian, logistics officer and head of school nutrition programs for Chicago Public Schools.

Students chefs Jakaia Franklin, Lashonda Livingston and Henry Walton also fielded questions. The whole team presented the meal at the briefing, which was organized by Healthy Schools Campaign and sponsored by the offices of Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Jan Schakowsky. The briefing and the award-winning lunch were the focus of a day of action urging Congress to authorize increased funding for better school food.

Nearly a hundred people crowded into the briefing room to get a taste of the students' tasty lunch and hear about the national movement for school food reform.

The award-winning lunch was served the same day in the House of Representatives Longworth cafeteria, where it was a huge hit: the cafeteria sold out of jambalaya, cornbread and cucumber salad. (When the lunch was served in Chicago public high schools on Jan. 29, it was so popular that the Tilden school cafeteria also ran out!)

"I learned that I can help change what we eat in schools -- at my school and across the country," Cari told advocates, members of Congress, staffers and media at the briefing.

This message is especially important as Congress begins the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, the legislation that provides funding and sets standards for school food. The House of Representatives held its first hearing on reauthorization later in the day after the briefing. (And, we hope, after representatives enjoyed some healthy jambalaya in their cafeteria!)

The outcome of this reauthorization is vitally important to the millions of children who struggle with obesity, the teachers who know well-nourished children are better learners and the growing number of families who rely on the National School Lunch Program to provide nutritious meals to children.

Please join HSC and the student chefs of Tilden high school in speaking up for a robust and adequately funded Child Nutrition Act. Click here to take action.

And stay posted for more photos and video of the student chefs in DC!

Cooking up Change National Honorary Co-chair Karen Duncan: Speaking Up for Student Health & Learning

Today we have a guest blog from Karen Duncan, National Honorary Co-chair of Cooking up Change 2010 and wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Tomorrow, March 2, Karen will speak at a Capitol Hill briefing on the future of school food along with Cooking up Change National Honorary Co-Chair Christie Vilsack, HSC founding executive director Rochelle Davis and the student chefs of Tilden Career Community High School, winners of the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest. Attendees at the briefing will have the chance to try the healthy, tasty school lunch that the students created. The meal will also be served in the House of Representatives cafeteria that same day. You can send a letter urging your Congressional leaders to try the healthy school lunch and attend the briefing!

I'm very happy to serve as the National Honorary Co-Chair of Cooking up Change and be part of this national effort to change the kind of food we feed our children in school.

As a mother, I know how vital it is to give our kids nutritious food and help them learn about healthy eating so that they will be prepared to make good decisions about what they eat for the rest of their lives.

As an educator, I know how vital good nutrition is to students' learning. A piece of their academic success is the simple question of how well nourished they are. As we look to students to achieve academic outcomes at school, we can't overlook the question of whether we are feeding them food that provides the fuel to succeed. I love that with Cooking up Change, we are looking to the students themselves for inspiration and solutions to the challenges schools face in serving fresh, nutritious meals that support students' readiness to excel in the classroom.

Schools have some very formidable obstacles to serving the lunches that we might like to see. I hope that through Cooking up Change, we can help remove some of those obstacles.

I've had the chance to visit schools while learning about this issue and have seen some remarkable programs -- some schools, for example, that make tasty local produce a regular part of the school day and directly connect lessons about healthy eating with the food kids are served in school. I'd like to see children in all of our schools have the opportunity to eat school food that exemplifies the ideas we tell them are important about eating well. There's often a real disconnect between what we feed children at school and what we tell them they should eat. We need to address that discrepancy. We talk to kids about eating fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains -- now we need to serve those foods for lunch in the cafeteria. I'd like to see choices in the lunchroom that match up with the nutrition education piece.

The really interesting thing about Cooking up Change is that it asks students to take that nutrition education component and translate it into a great meal that appeals to them and to their peers. The meals they create are just terrific. I am really proud of the students who are taking on this challenge.

Everybody finds something they care about doing in life, something that empowers them and brings out their talent. I completely admire that these students have found such passion, creativity and vision for making good food. I thank them for focusing this talent on school food in particular. I am happy to be working with these students in Cooking up Change to help make their vision for school food a reality in their schools and in schools across the nation.

The Healthy School Lunch That We're Taking to Congress, Created by the Student Chefs of Tilden Career Academy

On March 2, the student chefs of Tilden Career Community Academy high school in Chicago will bring the school lunch they created to Congress! The healthy, great-tasting meal won first place in HSC's Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest and was served in Chicago high schools last month.

Check out the award-winning recipe below, and don't forget to send a letter urging your Congressional leaders to try the lunch for themselves on Tuesday and support healthy school food for all students.

Chicken-Vegetable Jambalaya

• 4 cups Onion, diced               
• 2 cups Bell Peppers, diced
• 2 cups Celery, diced               
• 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 5 lb Dark chicken meat, cubed           
• 6 cups Tomatoes, diced (canned)
• 1 cup Tomato Paste               
• 2 Tbsp Hot Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder               
• ½ tsp Basil
• 2 tsp Paprika                   
• 3 cups Chicken Stock*
• 4 cups Rice (uncooked)               
• 3 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
• 2 cups Spinach                   
• 6 cups Water

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, sauté onion, pepper, spinach, and celery in oil.
2. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, and spices.
4. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Add chicken stock and water, bring to a quick boil, and add rice.
6. Cover pot and reduce heat, simmering for 15 min.

Serving size: 1 ½ cups. Makes 21 servings.


Cucumber Salad   

• 9 cups Cucumbers, peeled and sliced            
• 3 cups Carrot sticks
• 9 cups Tomatoes, sliced                
• 1 cup Italian Dressing

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, sauté onion, pepper, spinach, and celery in oil.

Serving size: ¾ cup. Makes 28 servings.


Jalapeño Cornbread    

• 5 lb Cornbread mix                    
• 6 cups Water
• 1 cup Chopped Jalapenos        
• 2 cups Frozen cut corn
• 2 cups Shredded Cheese

1. Place water in a mixer bowl, add total contents of mix using a paddle.
2. Mix at low speed for 15 sec.
3. Scrape bowl then add corn, peppers and cheese. Mix on low for another 15 sec.
4. Spread batter evenly into paper-lined 24x16” sheet pan.
5. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes.

Serving size: 3x2” slice. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Invite Your Legislator to Lunch -- And Help Change the Future of School Food

March 2, 2010 is a day that could change the future of school food.

As leaders around the US respond to First Lady Michelle Obama’s call to end childhood obesity in a generation and Congress prepares to take up the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, five high school students from Chicago will bring a healthy school lunch they created to Congress.

Please join the students in speaking up for better school food and take a moment to urge your senators and representative to try to the lunch the students have created. To send a letter, click here.

The Chicago public high school students from Tilden Community Career Academy who created the winning school lunch in HSC’s Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest will present their meal at a Capitol Hill briefing on the future of school food on March 2.

At the briefing, Cooking up Change National Honorary Co-Chairs Karen Duncan and Christie Vilsack will speak along with the student chefs and HSC’s Rochelle Davis.

The great-tasting lunch of chicken-vegetable jambalaya with jalapeno cornbread and cucumber salad will also be served in the House of Representatives cafeteria for those who are unable to attend the briefing. The meal exceeds current school food nutrition standards and was created on a very tight budget. Last month, it was served in high schools across Chicago.

Please take a moment to urge your Congressional leaders to join us for school lunch on Capitol Hill on March 2 and support a strong, well-funded reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, making healthy meals a priority every day. 

Click here to take action!

Thank you for joining the student chefs of Tilden high school in speaking up for healthy school food! 

New Data Shows Strong Support for Healthy School Food

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

If you're reading this blog, you probably know that we're facing an obesity crisis and we need to  make changes to improve school food. And you probably want more money for healthier school food. You probably even know that Congress is going to be taking up the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act very soon. But what about the rest of the population -- the parents, teachers voters and community leaders who don't read school food blogs and closely follow these policy issues? What does the "average" American think about school food? How about funding for school food? Thanks to a recent survey, we have some good news to answer this question.

SchoolMealsMatter.org just released the results from a random sample telephone survey of 1001 American adults on their opinions on supporting the child nutrition programs. And the results could hardly have been better. In short, people get it. People make the connection between health and education. People want to invest in children's health.

Let's look at some of the results:

• 95% agree that there is a direct relationship between healthy eating and the ability to achieve in school
• 94% agree that schools must receive funding to have adequate equipment for food prep and storage
• 87% agree that investing in healthy meals can reduce health care costs in the long run
• 85% agree that the US has a responsibility to make sure all kids in school are not going hungry during the day
• 84% agree that strong and well-funded child nutrition programs are essential for fighting obesity

And my favorite is the answer to a question was asked after a list of concerns was read, including but not limited to tough economic times and parental responsibility:

• 77% support expanding the Child Nutrition Act to provide healthier food and cover more kids

77% support more money for better food after being read all the concerns about exploding budgets and boundaries of the federal government's role. That's a number that makes healthy school food about as popular as baseball and apple pie, as they say.

So while school food advocates work together to garner more funding for better food, let's remember:

1. Our children are facing a very real obesity crisis, 
2. School food is part of the solution, and . . .
3. People already support this solution. People want students to have healthier school food. 

Now we need to make sure our legislators know these things too. Click here to send a letter urging your Congressional leaders to make healthy school food a priority!

Tilden Students to Bring Cooking up Change Lunch to Congress

Student chefs present their award-winning jalapeno cornbread on Jan. 29, the day their meal was served in Chicago high schools

The student chefs of Tilden Career Community Academy High School will bring the healthy, great-tasting school lunch they designed – which won first place at HSC’s Cooking up Change healthy cooking contest – to Congress on March 2.

The students will showcase their meal at a Capitol Hill briefing on the future of school food where HSC’s founding executive director Rochelle Davis will moderate a panel of speakers including:

• Christie Vilsack, National honorary co-chair of Cooking up Change and wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
• Karen Duncan, National honorary co-chair of Cooking up Change and wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
• Tilden High School culinary student from the Cooking up Change winning team

The tasty lunch of chicken-vegetable jambalaya with jalapeno cornbread and cucumber salad will be served that day at the Longworth cafeteria in the House of Representatives office building. The healthy student-designed lunch is part of HSC's advocacy for a strong reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

Look out next week for more details about how you can take action for school food on March 2!

Plus: Check out a video of the Tilden team's winning moment!

A Renewed Call for Action: Bills in House & Senate Would Secure More Funding for Better Food

By Cassie Yarbrough, HSC Policy Intern

In the wake of President Obama’s first State of the Union address and the official launch of first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity, we once again hear a renewed call for action on behalf of our nation’s children.  Child obesity rates continue to rise, and there is simply not enough funding for fresh, healthy meals in schools.  However, there is hope: it’s clear that the current administration is making the fight against childhood obesity a priority.

In the State of the Union address President Obama said, “I want to acknowledge our first lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier.” 

Then, on February 9 the President signed an Executive Order creating a task force on childhood obesity to be headed by First Lady Michelle Obama, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.  Calling it “one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country,” the President applauded the efforts of his wife and cabinet members as they launch a joint effort between the private sector and government agencies to combat childhood obesity.  

The same day, First Lady Michelle Obama launched a new website promoting healthier generations of children.  Check out LetsMove.gov to find information concerning healthy choices, healthier schools, physical activity, and accessible and affordable healthy food.  Notably, the campaign challenges US schools to improve nutrition and physical activity standards, including a call for improved nutritional education.  It also calls for a strong and well-funded reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

With the long-awaited reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act resurfacing after a delay last fall, we are seeing renewed activity in Washington in the effort to secure the funds needed to improve the National School Lunch Program and extend it to all children in need.

Here at HSC, we're particularly excited about four bills, two of which are in the House Education and Labor Committee and two of which are in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. 

• The two House Bills are H.R. 3705: Expand School Meals Act and H.R. 1324: Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act.  If passed, the Expand School Meals Act would extend free school meals to all children with family incomes below 185 percent of poverty guidelines.  This will effectively eliminate the reduced-price category within the National School Lunch Program, easing the burden on millions of families to provide nutritious, balanced meals to their children.  The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act would redefine the guidelines for the Secretary of Agriculture, requiring the Secretary to establish science-based nutrition standards for food served both in the school lunch and breakfast programs and for food served outside the scheduled meal period (such as after-school snack bars).  

• The two Senate Bills include S. 1343: Hunger Free Schools Act and S. 934: Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act.  The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act in the Senate is a counterpart to the bill of the same name in the House.  The Hunger Free Schools Act would improve the process of certifying qualified children as eligible for free meals.  It would also extend assistance payments to schools and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) as they implement free/reduced price meals in schools based on the number of children eligible for such meals and whether the school/LEA is in a high poverty area.   

We expect these four bills to be added in to the Child Nutrition Reauthorization, but it is imperative that they not be overlooked.President Obama's proposed budget makes it clear that child nutrition is a priority. Now we all need to raise our voices to let Congress know that this is the right priority. You can take action at HSC's online Child Nutrition resource center.

These policies will improve the academic and wellness environment of all our schools, fostering our children’s ability to pay attention and learn while simultaneously making their day-to-day lives healthier and more productive.  We urge you to contact your senators and representatives and ask them to cosponsor these bills, include them in the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization, and support a substantial funding increase for the National School Lunch Program.You can take action online at www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/childnutrition.

Momentum for Change: Healthy Schools Campaign’s Work in the Context of Michelle Obama’s Initiative to End Childhood Obesity

By Rochelle Davis, Founding Executive Director

This Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama launched her comprehensive initiative to reverse the trend of childhood obesity within a generation.  I want to provide you with an overview of her initiative and how Healthy Schools Campaign's work is positioned in relation to this effort.

The First Lady’s program, which is called Let’s Move, focuses on what families, communities and the public and private sectors can do to improve health, specifically children’s health.  The major components of this initiative are:

Encourage Americans to make healthy choices by making nutrition information on food packages more clear, and empowering parents with simple and easy-to-use tips on how to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

Improve nutrition and physical education in schools by encouraging schools to participate in the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, and pass a strong Child Nutrition Act reauthorization this year.

Increase physical activity by promoting the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award.  

Make healthy food more available, particularly in low-income communities through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, a $400 million per year effort to eliminate food deserts in the next five years.

The First Lady’s emergence as a champion on this issue, and her focus on school food, creates significant momentum for achieving meaningful and sustainable change. Her program reinforces what we have learned in our own work. We need environmental changes in order to effectively combat childhood obesity and no one sector, whether it be government, business, schools or parents, can solve this problem by itself.

Let’s Move has a major focus on the school environment; specifically,  the program focuses on two areas:  the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, and the Child Nutrition Act. The HealthierUS Schools Challenge is a recognition program for schools that meet high nutrition standards and incorporate physical activity and nutrition education into the school day.  We are currently working with the Chicago Public Schools to adopt this program. 

The First Lady called on Congress to pass a Child Nutrition Act which improves nutritional standards for all school food, increases funding by $1 billion per year for the next ten years, and makes it easier for students to participate. HSC has been very active in promoting a Child Nutrition Act that provides additional resources for more healthful school food. 

In fact, we are now partnering with Karen Duncan, wife of the Secretary of Education, and Christie Vilsack, wife of the Secretary of Agriculture.  As the National Honorary Co-chairs for Cooking up Change 2010, they are supporting our efforts to promote a strong Child Nutrition Act. On March 2, we will travel to Washington, DC with students from Tilden Career Community Academy High School, the 2009 winning team at Cooking up Change, to participate in a congressional briefing with Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Vilsack.  

On Tuesday, President Obama signed an executive order convening an interagency taskforce to coordinate the role of the federal government in combating childhood obesity. We believe that this is especially important, as a successful plan for addressing childhood obesity cannot rest in one department or agency. 

Healthy Schools Campaign has actively engaged federal agencies including the USDA, Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services on these policy issues, and we will continue to do so. Some of our specific recommendations were detailed in Healthy and Ready to Learn: Lessons from Chicago, a report released early last year.

This is a time of great excitement and promise, and we are thankful and energized by the First Lady’s commitment to this work. 

When the issue of childhood obesity first captured public attention, many people did not consider it to be a serious public policy issue. Healthy Schools Campaign, our many partners, and others working in this important field have made significant progress in bringing attention, resources, understanding, and policy solutions to this issue.  With a champion in the White House, we are well positioned to make a tremendous difference in providing children with the opportunity to grow up to lead healthy and productive lives.

Let's Move: Advocating to Make Michelle Obama's Vision of Ending Childhood Obesity a Reality

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

Yesterday Michelle Obama announced her nationwide initiative to prevent childhood obesity. She painted a picture of compassion, vision and engagement. I couldn't imagine anyone who saw her announcement and didn't walk away impressed and inspired.

It isn't about inches and pounds, and it's not about how kids look. It has nothing to do with that. It's about how our kids feel. And how they feel about themselves.

In my seven years working on this issue, I've never seen the messaging of an issue so complex and nuanced delivered so well and so concisely. She was able to paint a complete picture of a complex issue in less than 70 seconds. (For those looking for the video, you can get it here, and this message below starts at 39:30). If I may paraphrase:

Pediatricians are seeing high blood pressure, high cholesterol more and more kids with type II diabetes;

Our teachers are seeing bullying and teasing;

Our school counselors are seeing depression and low self esteem;

Coaches are seeing kids struggling to keep up or worse yet sitting on the sideline unable to engage;

Our military leaders are reporting that obesity is one of the most common disqualifiers for military service;

Economic experts tell us that we are spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity related conditions;

And public health experts are telling us that our current generation is on track to have a shorter life span than their parents;

And none of us want this future for our kids or for our country.

And most importantly, for those watching, she was able to deliver a message that spread the blame, without pointing fingers.

Many parents desperately want to do the right thing, but they feel the deck is stacked against them. They know their kids' health is their responsibility, but they feel it is completely out of their control.

The first lady did a remarkable job of framing this issue in a way that calls us all to action on behalf of children's health rather than calling out any one individual or group as a culprit. And this is where I realize how well she is navigating tricky waters.

The reality is that childhood obesity is an issue that exists precariously in the nexus of personal and political decisions. How do you talk about it in a way that moves systems-level change and not in a way that touches on personal sensitivities about weight? At HSC, we've often navigated this challenge by focusing on health, of course, and also on justice: all children deserve an opportunity to be healthy, and the reality is that our systems don't currently provide that opportunity to everyone.

While I'm glad to see Michelle Obama drawing attention to the systems-level nature of the problems that have gotten us to this point, I also hope that her initiatve will be effective in helping produce the systems-level change we'll need to solve the problem. When we all agree that the childhood obesity epidemic isn't the "fault" of any one group or one cause -- that it's not about bad parenting or bad foods or bad people -- we're left with the challenge of changing policies so that they support healthy lifestyles and the goal of eliminating childhood obesity.

Our current set of policies -- touching on food subsidies, education priorities, health care, urban planning and more -- affect how available healthy food and physical activity are for us and our communities. And while we all need to make healthy decisions for ourselves, at a very fundamental level we need systems that put us in a position of being able to make good decisions. We need policies that give all kids the opportunity to eat well and be active. 

The truth is our kids didn't do this to themselves. Our kids don't decide what's served to them at school or whether or not there's time for gym or recess. Our kids don't choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super sized portions and to have those products marketed to themselves everywhere they turn. 

Yesterday's announcements and activities indicate that we're on the path to begin making policy change; along with the first lady's announcement, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum establishing a taskforce on childhood obesity and directing agencies such as the USDA to investigate and report back on what they can do to support the initiative's goal.

The first lady also launched LetsMove.gov, a website with tools and background on the initiative. The website includes information about relevant programs and resources; it also specifically addresses policy change that will make a difference on these issues. I'm especially heartened to see schools identified as one of the main areas of focus.

But nothing should be taken for granted; we all have a great deal of work ahead in helping ensure that this energy leads to the changes we need in schools.

One of the most pressing and timely ways we can do this is to speak up for a strong and well-funded reauthorization of the Child Nutrition program, which can bring healthier meals to more children who need them nationwide. President Obama's proposed budget makes it clear that child nutrition is a priority. Now we all need to raise our voices to let Congress know that this is the right priority. You can take action at HSC's online Child Nutrition resource center.

As part of this advocacy, we're also getting students involved in the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contests, creating healthy, tasty school meals and bringing those meals to Congress. You can learn more and get involved with Cooking up Change here.

We applaud the first lady's tremendous effort to end childhood obesity in a generation. As advocates, we can all learn from her engaging and caring approach to the issue. And we must all continue to advocate for the systems change that will make this impressive vision a reality.

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

President Obama's Budget Prioritizes Healthy School Food & Healthy School Environments

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

When it comes down to it, one of the biggest indicators of an administration's priorities is where it spends money. And for the first time in my memory, we have an administration that is prioritizing children's health. The budget that President Obama presented today makes school food and school environments real priorities.

Yes, this budget is brutal. Yes, cuts are everywhere. And no, we're not going to go back to the moon. However, this presidential budget shows at least two significant line items that will make a difference in health of students.

Healthy School Food

This is a critical year in the movement for healthy school food, and President Obama's budget allocates significant and much-needed resources to that effort. The Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization, and we've been joining advocates nationwide in speaking up for increased federal funding for better school food -- about a dollar per meal more than schools currently receive. The place to start is the budget.

It looks like the president has kept his commitment to making the largest ever increase to the Child Nutrition Program, dedicating $10 billion over 10 years for a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization.

While this is good news for school food, especially given the cuts and spending freezes we're seeing elsewhere - it's still not enough to solve all deficiencies with school meals. The truth of the matter is that this will only account for maybe 20 cents more per meal. So the trick now is to not only make sure this money isn't whittled away, but also find even more.

Healthy School Environments

As long as I can remember, school environmental programs have been viewed as boutique programs for local schools to adopt. And while the EPA has been a great resource in helping schools get the information they need, a dramatically under-funded voluntary program can only help so much. The reality is that without help from the Dep.t of Education, the EPA is limited in what it can do.

With this budget, we see that for the first time resources may be directed to promoting a "healthier school environment" and to integrate EPA and DoE resources. Take a look at page 10:

Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative
(FY 2011 PB: $6.3M, FY 2010 Enacted: $0.1M, FY 2011 Change: +$6.2M)

• Requests a $6.2 million increase to create healthier school environments for all children.
• EPA will co-lead an interagency effort in integrating existing school programs including asthma, indoor air quality, chemical clean out, green practices and enhanced use of integrated pest management.
• Promotes safe handling and management of PCB-containing caulk in schools and build
• necessary regional technical support and outreach to effectively implement site-specific cleanup and disposal plans. Assesses the impacts of non-compliance with existing environmental laws on health risks in schools.
• Increases technical assistance on voluntary Energy Independence Security Act (EISA) school siting and environmental health guidelines.

Now it's our turn to tell our legislators that these are the right priorities -- and the funding has to follow.

Our Phone Call with Sec. Vilsack: USDA Reaches Out to Advocates, Bloggers in Promoting Child Nutrition

Last week, we had a personal phone call with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack! Well, not completely personal. Many of our favorite bloggers and school food advocates joined in on the first blogger conference call with the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The purpose of the call was to announce the USDA's partnership with the National Dairy Council and the NFL to launch the new "Fuel Up to Play 60" program. (You can listen to the call here or see a transcript here.)

It's a great program. Getting the NFL involved in promoting healthy eating and physical activity is huge in terms of getting the message to kids. And of course the Dairy Council has a broad network and great resources for getting the word out about this important message. We're thrilled to help spread the word about Fuel Up to Play 60.

One of the best things about the call was that Secretary Vilsack fielded questions from bloggers. We were able to ask the Secretary about the upcoming Child Nutrition Act reauthorization and the role that high profile campaigns such as FUP60 play in changing nutrition policy.

The fact that the Secretary of Agriculture is reaching out to food and policy bloggers -- taking questions from many writers who get their messages out entirely through new media, blogging and Tweeting their ideas -- is in itself an indicator of just how much the USDA has changed under the Obama administration. (This is the same agency that recently announced a competition to design an online game for transforming 'tween eating habits. You can check out more of the USDA's new media efforts here.) It's one more example of efforts to innovate and to expand the network of people who can help spread health-promoting messages.

And Secretary Vilsack's answer to our question only supported my impression that it's a new day at the USDA.

In short, Secretary Vilsack emphasized the importance of advocacy, the need for individuals and organizations to get involved to make real change. He talked about why we need to show Congress that school food is not a niche issue that affects a subset of people but is rather a major challenge that touches on health care, farm policy, even national defense. Program such as FUP60 can help build that awareness. Showing that school food matters to NFL players and dairy farmers can only help.

While this isn't totally groundbreaking, it is interesting and very, very encouraging to hear the  head of the USDA talking openly about building networks to advocate for changing nutrition policy.

All of a sudden, the USDA is the biggest advocate for school food policy change. That's new.

Of course, this isn't to say that we can sit back and take a break. We all have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming months to continue the push to improve nutrition, health and safety standards for school food. But it does mean that we'll be doing this work with the knowledge that the USDA is listening and is interested in working with us.

Now we need to take that message to Congress.

BOOK REVIEW: School Lunch Politics by Susan Levine

The National School Lunch Program keeps making headlines (see our recent blogs here and here). Today, HSC intern Cynthia San Miguel takes a look at School Lunch Politics, a new book from Princeton University Press that unpacks the history behind the National School Lunch Program.

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School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America's Favorite Welfare Program by Susan Levine is a well-researched look at the National School Lunch Program. In detailing the history behind the school meals program we see today, Levine articulates how the program came to be -- and how it came to be flawed.

She writes that the program began around the time that the science of nutrition came into existence and reformers began efforts to improve the American diet. It was considered a “measure of national security” during WWI, after many young men were turned away from the military due to malnutrition, and it promised hot lunches to children in schools across the country. (For more detail on this aspect of the program's origins and what it means for national security today, check out Mark Bishop's recent blog.)

Her book uncovers a few little-known facts -- for example, before the federal government officially established a permanent program in 1946, early versions provided children with healthy meals and lessons about nutrition. As school food became a permanent fixture of the federal budget in the ‘50s, Levine writes, “it also became a potent symbol for the American promise of equality and prosperity in the post-war world.” 

But after it became policy, she explains, the program “bore only slight resemblance to the goals of nutrition scientists and home economists,” depending on surplus commodities from farmers which shaped school menus. School administrators didn't know which foods would be available and were required to accept whatever foods were distributed. Levine treats the reader to stories from school employees who witnessed what children did with a surplus of grapefruits and eggs. 

Levine also explains that in order to serve more free meals, the Department of Agriculture eased the restrictions banning commercial operations from schools, opening the gates to fast-food companies and vending machines. And she points out that back in 1973, Nixon’s nutritional advisor warned about the threat of obesity. 

As for the future, one thing Levine stresses is that the program needs a nutrition education element, informing children about the benefits of healthy fresh food, if we're to stop the obesity epidemic. 

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Want to learn more about school food and raise your voice for healthy school meals today? Check out HSC's Child Nutrition Action Center at www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/childnutrition.

Making Wellness a Priority: When Schools Focus on Physical Activity in the Classroom

At HSC, we love to hear about new ways that schools are making wellness a priority and instilling healthy habits in their students. Studies show that activity in the classroom increases students’ concentration, builds healthy habits and improves kids’ overall health – and teachers are putting this finding to the test. Through our work with teachers and schools, we've learned that in classrooms across the country, teachers and students are stepping out from behind their desks and trading workouts for workbooks.

Dolores Navarro, a kindergarten teacher at the McCormick School in Chicago says that when she began to weave brief periods of structured exercise into the school day, students responded.

“They are more open to doing work and finishing their tasks after they are physically active,” she says. “They have more energy. Their brains are more focused, more alert. Their brains are working – when they do math, they get through the problems quickly, just like that!”

Students take an exercise break in Ms. Navarro's classroom

In Navarro’s classroom, students take a break every hour to stretch, and a kid-friendly video leads them through exercises for twenty minutes a day. Even small amounts of physical activity are valuable, she says: “As a teacher, you say, ‘Oh, I don’t have time,’” she said. “But you see that it’s simple -- you do have time.”

At Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa, science teacher Blake Hammond appeals to kids’ innate sense of play. He worked with a physical education teacher at the school to incorporate the Nintendo Wii (a video game that requires life-like movements to play simulations of games such as tennis) into the school day. Soon he and others and raised enough funds for an interactive fitness arcade including the Wii, video bikes, another activity-heavy game called Dance Dance Revolution, and more.

“You can see a direct connection between students’ wellness and their engagement in class,” Hammond says. “Their participation, raising their hand, there’s an overall connection. The awareness of self that comes with wellness is a huge success when it comes to kids this age. When they have that, they’re more ready to participate and learn.”

Fitness arcade at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa

Physical activity is crucial not only to academic achievement but to reducing the epidemic levels of childhood obesity and related illnesses. The Department of Health and Human Services forecasts that, three years from now, one out of five children and youth in the United States will be obese, which can lead to greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke later in life.

In a 2009 report, The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation highlighted the critical role that schools play in ending this epidemic. As part of its call for a national strategy to address obesity, the report recommended increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity at school. By incorporating physical activity into the everyday classroom environment, teachers are not only leading sessions of yoga or jumping-jacks. They’re preparing the next generation for a lifetime of healthy habits, breaking the pattern of obesity at a time when action is critical.

Navarro says she knew it was time to take action in her classroom when she saw her kindergartners struggling with physical activity at such a young age.

She says:“Looking at those little kids who have trouble breathing, trouble exercising – you just reach the point where you say: Stop! It’s got to stop.”

Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act Would Bring More Produce to School Meals

HSC is pleased to support The Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009, a bill introduced in December by Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA) and Adam Putnam (R-FL). The Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act could make a real difference in ensuring access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables starting in elementary school, when kids are first developing healthy habits.

In October 2009, the Institute of Medicine recommended many changes to The National School Lunch Program -- including doubling the amount of fruit served at school breakfast and doubling the fruits and vegetables in school lunch. 

We're excited that, if passed, The Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009 would help close that gap by:

• Promoting school salad bars or fruit and vegetable bars as an evidence-based strategy for increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables that children eat.
• Providing funds to make sure that cafeteria equipment helps schools serve more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Linking school meals with local and regional food producers.
• Providing training and technical assistance that emphasize best practices to increase the effectiveness of the program.
• Expanding the variety and amount of fresh fruits and vegetables available to schools through the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• Improving the quality of school meals by requiring the USDA to update nutrition standards based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine.

Other supporters of the bill include the Community Food Security Coalition, the Public Health Institute, the Prevention Institute, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the National WIC Association, the National Farm to School Network, and the United Fresh Produce Association. 

At HSC, we're thrilled that this bill would make fruits and vegetables more central to school meal programs, and we think this provision would be an exciting part of a strong, well-funded Child Nutrition Act. Learn more about the Child Nutrition Act and voice your support for a well-funded reauthorization!

Vintage Video Takes on Current School Food Questions

Why is the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act so important? Check out this video from the Campaign for Quality Services (a joint project of SEIU and UNITE-HERE, which represent school cafeteria staff nationwide). The video splices vintage video clips together into a plea for support for a strong Child Nutrition Act today -- a retro take on a very current issue. It's one more unique way of telling the story of school food and getting out the message that our schools need increased funding to serve better school food.

To learn more and take action for a strong reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, visit HSC's website.

A Look Inside: Academy for Global Citizenship

Today we have a special guest blog from writer and reporter Kari Lydersen about the Academy for Global Citizenship, a unique Chicago school with a rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum that serves a healthy, organic breakfast and lunch every day.

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Sarah Elizabeth Ippel grew up in Grand Rapids surrounded by people who looked “exactly like me.” After going to grad school in England, where she did a dissertation in early childhood education, she was awed to discover the richness of being surrounded by people from other races and backgrounds. She visited 100 schools in 70 countries over the next decade, and in 2002 settled in Chicago because of its ethnic diversity. In 2004 the city announced the Renaissance 2010 plan and the call for opening 100 new schools by 2010. Ippel proposed an innovative contract school aiming to make students “global citizens” and incorporate the International Baccalaureate program she was so impressed by in schools from Kenya to Venezuela.

 

Getting her proposal approved was a challenge, Ippel said, partly because her group was not a nationwide organization with a track record like Edison or KIPP, and partly because the challenging IB curriculum is more commonly instituted in schools in higher income areas, as opposed to the low-income, mostly immigrant southwest side neighborhood of Archer Heights where Ippel’s school would be located.

“That made us even more determined to do it,” Ippel said.

In 2008 the Academy for Global Citizenship opened its doors, making it one of the first Chicago schools to implement the IB program for primary school. She hopes to add an early childhood IB program. The students, whose mascot is the orca, learn about different countries and cultures as an intrinsic part of the school day; they learn English and Spanish from day one and yoga and organic lunch and breakfast made on the premises are a regular part of each day.

 

Students have become so accustomed to getting electricity from solar panels, composting with worm bins, recycling and worrying about climate change (one teacher went to the Arctic with Earthwatch last year and communicated with students over Skype) that now kids have parents turning the lights off while they are cooking dinner and insisting on walking to school instead of being dropped off. A wind turbine (not yet hooked up to a generator) spins in front of an ecologically friendly playground and garden; and solar panels are on the roof.

 

“We have parents coming in asking how to get started with the worm bins,” said Ippel. “Their kids refuse to throw anything away, they save orange peels in bags to bring to school to compost.”

 

At lunch on Oct. 1 when I visited, African American, Latino and white kids were scrambling to outdo each other in telling stories of their travels to a rooftop garden with bee hives, a farm and their composting experiences. They talked about composting, recycling and gardening as if those are everyday topics for any kindergartner. They didn’t notice that the meal included no fried or sugary food, and they asked young staff politely for more apple sauce and soy milk, one of them asking me, “Have you drank your milk yet today?”

They also described a teacher’s recent trip to Tanzania. A kindergarten teacher will soon start a unit on Peru, where she traveled and visited schools last summer. They will talk on Skype with students in Peru.

 

In late September Ippel met with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s chief of staff and other officials in the Department of Agriculture and toured the White House organic garden. (“Is the White House really big?” “Did you say hi to Obama?” students asked her at lunch.)

 

Food has become central to her educational and lifestyle philosophy, and the students have a six-month hands-on unit on where food comes from along with units on water, rain forests and other subjects. In Washington she traded ideas with staff at  Sidwell Friends (where the Obama daughters attend) and another IB school about integrating global citizenship and food justice into curricula.

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HSC applauds the efforts of Sarah Elizabeth Ippel and the Academy for Global Citizenship to make healthy school food an integral, beloved part of every school day. We extend a special thanks to Kari Lydersen for spotlighting this school for HSC's readers.

Letters for Lunch: Take Action for Healthier School Lunches with Slow Food USA

Today we have a guest post from our friends at Slow Food USA.

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By Jerusha Klemperer, program manager at Slow Food USA

When you think about it, kids don’t have that many opportunities to write a real letter anymore -- maybe to Santa, but that’s about it. Even Santa, I suspect, has a Blackberry. Well, here at Slow Food USA we are encouraging kids to go slow, and to send real, handwritten letters to their Congress people. So far more than 2,000 letters have been sent, all asking for school nutrition directors to be given the resources necessary to provide better school lunch.

photo credit: David Naugle

This letter-writing campaign represents the second phase in our Time for Lunch campaign. Phase 1 took place on Labor Day 2009, in all 50 states, when 20,000 people sat down together at public potlucks in support of updating our nation’s school lunch program. At these picnics -- held in parks, on farms, in backyards and school yards -- communities came together in celebratory protest of a school lunch program that is broken. They eat real, home-cooked food as a demonstration of the delicious, wholesome food they believe should be a part of the lunch served in public schools around the country.

Then, due to embattled and elongated health care reform conversations in Congress, the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, slated for the end of September, was postponed for one year. Word on the street is that they will get to it by early spring. Never mind that health care and nutrition should be interwoven conversations, that good nutrition is prevention.

We are diving into letter writing to help our legislators draw connections between child health and child nutrition. We also think it’s a great way to engage kids in the democratic process, as well as a strong sign to our legislators of who school lunch reform affects.

Obviously letter writers should describe what it is they want, in their own words. If they are old enough to understand the specifics of changes they could ask for, they should do that. The biggest change, and the one that the legislators really need to hear support for is increasing the reimbursement rate. We are asking for $1 more per child per day.

Congress leaves school lunch so underfunded that many schools have to rely on the overly processed foods that set kids up for a lifetime of bad eating. It’s time to provide America’s children with a school lunch that keeps them healthy and performing well in the classroom.

For more details about how to get involved, go to our web site, or download this one-page guide.


photo credit: Elzed

Top Blog Entries from 2009!

It's been a great year for the HSC blog, and we're proud that our readers have continued to visit day after day for fresh content, lively discussion and valuable information on ensuring a healthy future for all children. To ring in the new year, we've compiled a list of our most popular blog entries from 2009. (Drum roll...)

10. More Reasons for Recess

9. Good Luck to Cooking up Change Students From White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass

8. Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization - Let's Do it Right

7. New White House Chef Support Healthy School Lunches

6. Do Healthy Eating Habits Start at Home?

5. Kids May Go Hungry to Avoid Stigma of Free Meals

4. The Lunch That's Changing the Future of School Food

3. Secretary Vilsack Connects Healthy Eating and Reduction in Health Care Costs

2. A Parents Perspective on Asthma: Talking with Michelle Obama

-And #1-

1. Students Bring Healthy School Lunch to DC and Cook with White House Chef Sam Kass

Honorable mentions:

• This is Not Your Father's School Nurse
• My First Garden Meal of the Summer
• H1N1 and Green Cleaning in Schools

Happy New Year from all of us at HSC -- We look forward to seeing you again in 2010!

A Healthy Day Starts in the Classroom with School Breakfast Programs

by Tara Kennon, HSC communications manager

Kids at Chicago's Sandoval elementary school receive breakfast each day.

Our partners at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) recently released their annual report on the state of school breakfast in large urban school districts. The scorecard, which analyzes school breakfast participation in cities across the US, comes with a simple message:  more students are eating school breakfast than last year, but many more who could benefit from the program aren’t participating.

“Nationally, we’ve seen a real increase in breakfast participation among low-income children both because of the recession and because states generally have slowly been increasing breakfast use, but participation is just not growing fast enough,” said Jim Weill, FRAC president, in a press release about the report.

The report provides some context for these findings: “At a time when the nation is in a long and severe  recession, the School Breakfast Program is more indispensable than ever to maintain the health and well-being of low-income children. In 2008, nearly 16.7 million American children, or almost one in four, lived in food insecure households where their families faced a constant struggle against hunger.” (For more on these numbers and their relevance to school food, see our recent posts on the USDA’s 2009 food security report.)

We know that breakfast helps kids focus and do their best in the classroom and that schools can play a vital role in making sure kids have access to a healthy bite in the morning before classes begin.

That’s why we’ve been so impressed by efforts such as those in Chicago and Washington, D.C. public schools to provide universal breakfast in the classroom – a program that brings breakfast to all children, in their classrooms, before they begin their studies for the day. The program increases participation dramatically, takes away stigma and helps children learn that breakfast is part of a normal routine.

These programs also involve a certain level of logistical coordination to bring breakfast to each class, take away trash, and transition to the start of the day. And they are not without problems: critics have pointed out opportunities to improve the nutritional content of breakfast items served in the classroom, for example. 

But the benefits are huge: the report points out that the districts that were most successful in making sure kids had breakfast were the ones that served it in the classroom. FRAC also urges broader adoption of universal in-classroom programs like the ones in Chicago and D.C.. According the report: “The key strategy that urban school districts across the nation should adopt to expand breakfast participation among low-income students remains the adoption of universal classroom breakfast programs, especially in schools with high percentages of low-income students.”

Kudos to the school districts across the country doing their part to make sure all kids have a healthy start to their day.