In the 22% Latino Fairfax County Public School District in Fairfax, Va., a parent group called Real Food for Kids had rid school cafeterias of highly processed junk foods and improved the nutrition of school snacks and menus. But the change was not very visible to students. So the group, led by parent JoAnne Hammermaster, helped bring a fresh food stations showcase the healthier selections—and add new ones—for students at district schools. EMERGENCE Awareness: Childhood obesity is a priority for the parent group Real Food for Kids (RFFK), which pushes for healthy changes in the Fairfax County Public School District (FCPSD), a 22% Latino district in Fairfax, Va. In 2012, for example, RFFK drove FCPSD leaders to remove foods with artificial dyes, additives, and other highly ...
Leaders in Manhattan broke ground last Friday on what will soon be a place for residents and visitors to gather for Farmers' markets and community events.
The Plaza de Las Americas will not only bring water and electricity to local vendors for the first time, but according to a StreetsblogNYC post, it will also serve to beautify the predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights with trees, lighting, benches, tables, chairs, and a fountain.
Another added benefit to this project is that it may help improve traffic safety conditions. StreetsblogNYC reports that at least six pedestrians and bicyclists have been injured on Broadway road where the new plaza is set to be built.
Click here to learn more. Learn more about Latino kids and the lack of safe places for ...
Alexander Castillo was looking to make some healthy changes in his own life when he came to the realization that his school lacked tasty, nutritious lunch options. Why couldn’t his school have a salad bar? After joining the Mayor’s Fitness Council Student Ambassador program, developing a plan with his mentor, and reaching out to his district’s food services department, Alexander was able to secure a salad bar for his high school. The new salad bar led to an increase in salad purchases and a new outlook on eating fresh fruit and vegetables at his school.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Alexander Castillo, a student at Southwest Academy (a non-traditional alternative high school in the mostly Latino city of San Antonio, Texas) set a goal to pursue his passion for wrestling in 2014. He ...
Farmers’ markets are a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables when your local grocery store doesn’t sell them. But when your neighborhood doesn’t have a farmers’ market OR a local grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables—are you just out of luck? Find out how a Latina school teacher-turned healthy food activist was inspired by her friend to start a farmers’ market in her neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas, so neighbors could not only have better access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but learn how to cook tasty dishes that make healthy eating a delicious way of life.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: As a computer teacher at an elementary school in inner-city San Antonio, TX, Michelle Griego watches kids choose chips over carrots daily. San Antonio sits within ...
To get the most out of their school day, kids need healthy food options. One El Paso, Texas school district, Socorro Independent School District, is now striving to provide students with healthier foods at both breakfast and lunch time. According to an El Paso Times news article, the district held a workshop on January 6, 2015 to provide the community with more information on national guidelines for food items on the school's menu. At the workshop parents and board trustees expressed concerns about the nutritional value of some of the menu items served to students. The district's Nutrition services Director Shelley Chenausky also announced that the district would be removing items like pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), Pop Tarts, and donuts from the breakfast menu. At lunch ...
Senators and representatives in Idaho, a state with a quickly growing Latino community, are tracking their steps, water intake, and servings of fruits and vegetables as part of a month long, friendly competition aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and fighting childhood obesity. According to a Fox9 report 50 state legislators are taking part in a competition organized by health insurance provider Blue Cross of Idaho. At the end of the competition the three legislators who track the most physical activity and record eating more fruits and vegetables will win $5,000 from the Blue Cross of Idaho to go toward providing healthier options to elementary school children in their district. Funds will provide for outdoor exercise equipment, healthier meal options, and any other ...
Watch the video to see how CHALK'S efforts are inspiring a culture of health among Latinos in upper Manhattan. Latino kids and families of a primarily a Dominican and Mexican community in Washington Heights (northern Manhattan), are living a healthier lifestyle thanks to help from the Choosing Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids (CHALK) initiative. The CHALK initiative is a collaborative between the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Columbia University Medical Center, and a taskforce of several community affiliates, that was started in 2008. In 2012, the program was adopted as a permanent program of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. As part of the program, local bodegas, pharmacies, schools, restaurants and community fitness centers, provide the community with ...
The blog School Bites is run by a mom who wants to provide the healthiest and most nutritious food for her children. At home she can help teach them healthy eating, but at school her children and other students are exposed to a lot junk food. Over the past couple of years she has been fighting to make the food culture a healthier place in her local school district and here is what she had to say on her blog about what she accomplished:
What finally worked was a stronger district wellness policy combined with teacher education (SEE Healthy Classrooms Initiative: Educating Teachers on Healthy School Celebrations, Non-Food Rewards & More). I managed to get a spot on a committee that was convened to update our policy according to the ...
Many areas in central Florida lack easy access to fresh, healthy foods. Registered Dietitian Roniece Weaver recognized the problem 20-years ago in the neighborhoods around the center of Orlando. She teamed up with a few other dietitians to form Hebni Nutrition Consultants to educate people on how to prevent diet related diseases. But she wanted to do more. The group wanted to give the neighborhood better access to healthy staples like apples, lettuce, bananas, and tomatoes. So they figured they had two options: find local stores that will expand their fresh produce offerings, or try something a bit different---a mobile farmers' market. Weaver says the mobile market is a better solution. “We can expand our reach and be anywhere on any given day, and reach different ...
