Keys to Success for Putting School Wellness Policies into Action

Share On Social!

A number of factors can help make school wellness policies a success.

To provide parents and educators with examples of what’s worked in schools so far, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gathered a series of 11 stories from schools throughout the U.S.

In their study of what works best the CDC found 7 commonalities among schools with successful school wellness policies including:

• A “wellness champion” (parent, teacher, administrator, or community member) who served as the driving force for developing and implementing
  the wellness policy;
• A wellness council to lead implementation efforts;
• Students who were involved in the design process through activities (i.e. students participated in taste tests);
• Parents were invited to help set wellness goals and plan activities help to ensure support
  and participation;
• Partnerships with community groups who provided resources for wellness activities;
• External funding to help schools and districts accomplish many of their wellness activities;
• Evaluating and monitoring wellness activities was a challenge for many schools and districts.

Click here to read the CDC’s case studies and full report of what works best in schools.