Assessment and Planning

Advice from the Field

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The following tips are from key teachers, parents, principals, food service personnel, and students from districts that received California Department of Education, Nutrition Services LEAF (Linking Education, Activity and Food) grants. They share their wisdom and secrets to creating successful and sustained differences in school nutrition environments.

Recommendations

Alisa Hinkle, LEAF Project Coordinator, Kernville Union School District:

Include broad representation from your school and your community in your School Health Council (the group that develops the policy). This helps ensure agreement, creates a sense of ownership, and lets all parties be heard; it is instrumental in the development and subsequent implementation of a Local School Wellness Policy.

Steve Baldwin, Interim LEAF Project Coordinator, Hawthorne School District:
Research current health, nutrition, and/or physical activity policies currently in your district – finding these will give you a starting point and save time.

Always remember who you are working for – your students!

Links to LEAF Grantee Web Sites

Carpinteria Unified School District – LEAF information

Orcutt Union School District – LEAF information

San Francisco Unified School District – LEAF information

Resources

SHAPE (Shaping Health As Partners in Education): This network of school food service directors, teachers, principals, health, and physical education teachers, meet twice a year to share success and learn new strategies.

Taking Action for Healthy School Environments: Linking Education, Activity, and Food in California Secondary Schools (PDF file)
This publication illustrates promising practices in nutrition and physical activity policy development and implementation that have been field-tested and found successful in over 18 California middle and high schools.

Date: 09/02/2010

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