Want to get better water access at your school but don't know where to start? The Water Works Implementation Guide can help you develop a comprehensive program to increase access to safe, appealing, low-cost drinking water sources in your school. It also provides ideas, materials, and resources to help you increase water consumption among the school community. Finally, the guide provides resources to help you evaluate the impact of your water program. The guide can be found at waterinschools.org, which also houses fact sheets and case studies about schools that have brought water back on to campus. Development of this guide was supported by a grant from the San Francisco Foundation and from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Healthy Eating Research program. Check ...
In the small, multicultural city of Lynn, Mass., minorities make up almost half the population, with Latinos making up almost a third. With obesity on the rise in the area, many groups are stepping up to make healthy changes where they live, work, and play. Local corners stores, where many kids hang out before and after school, are well-positioned to make a positive impact on kids’ food choices—if they are marketing the right foods. A group of high-school students chose one popular corner store to help promote healthy snacks and make it easier for teens to pick apples over chips—contributing to a wave of new healthy markets sweeping over Massachusetts.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: The small city of Lynn, Massachusetts gets more diverse every day. The Latino population grew from 18% to ...
Latinos comprise 41% of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and 15% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. Changes in these types of food assistance programs that allow healthier food purchases have been proven to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk by children. In Missouri, some law-makers are hoping these types of healthy changes will be put into legislation. A State House panel heard testimony in late February 2014 on legislation that would give bonus dollars to food assistance participants who buy fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets. Supporters say the measure would cut down on obesity in low-income households and reduce costs for obesity-related illnesses. Under the bill, the state would set up a ...
About 9 million low-income women and young children receive federal food assistance under the U.S. government's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and Latino mothers and their kids make-up over 40% of participants. Soon these families will have greater access to fruits, vegetables, and whole grains under changes to the program unveiled on February 28, 2014. In its final form, the overhaul will boost by 30%, or $2 per month, the allowance for each child's fruit and vegetable purchases, and permit fresh produce in lieu of jarred infant food for babies, if their parents prefer. The update also expands whole grain options available to recipients and allows yogurt as a partial milk substitute, adding to the soy-based ...
Thirteen-year-old Estrella Hernandez, a member of the Mayor's Fitness Council Student Ambassadors, is making waves with her idea for an innovative fitness app made just for youth. Her app, "WeWalk," aims to motivate kids to exercise by using technology that they are familiar with. Kids play games on apps all the time, but now they can lead healthier lives while continuing to play. After learning about health issues and how obesity is affecting other youth her age, Estrella was inspired to combine health and technology. She has already received $12,500 in funding from the 80/20 Foundation and HEB. Building the app isn't simple, as it involves maintaining users accounts, monitoring how much users walk, and using Geo locations. Once the app is developed and beta tested, it will ...
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has launched it's Smart Snacks Product Calculator. This tool makes it easy for individuals or schools to evaluate products based on the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. The user can simply enter the product information, answer a few questions, and the calculator will determine whether your snack, side or entrée item meets the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. Results from this calculator have been approved and determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be an accurate product assessment for it's compliance with the federal requirements for Smart Snacks in School. In addition to the calculator, the Alliance Product Navigator now features snack, side, entrée and beverage products that meet the USDA ...
Residents of Dove Springs, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Austin, Texas, are doing something to improve the safety and appearance of their neighborhood parks According to the Dove Springs Manantial de Salud blog, pastors and congregation members of Iglesia Bautista Great Commission en Dove Springs adopted Franklin Neighborhood Park in March of 2013, in efforts to improve neighborhood safety and to provide children with a place to play. The work did not end here however. Other local residents did their part by organizing groups of volunteers to improve the conditions of five other parks, including: Dove Springs District Park, Kendra Page Neighborhood Park, Houston Park, Onion Creek Park, and Ponciana Neighborhood Park. Community members met with local law ...
Supported by the Horizon Foundation, Howard County Unsweetened has tools, resources, news, and more on how parents and their kids can swap sugary drinks for healthier alternatives. Their latest video campaign suggests that big soda companies should focus on promoting healthier beverages, like water, and not high-sugar drinks. The campaign challenges folks to rethink what marketing beverages to children should look like. Check out their latest video here! Howard County Unsweetened hosted a contest inviting high-schoolers to submit short documentaries about the problem of sugary drink consumption, and creative new ways to deal with it. They announced the winner in February 2014---watch the ...
Alicia Gonzalez, a young Latina with experience in community development, was eager to keep kids stay active, given the rise of local obesity. She partnered up with a local family foundation who wanted to start a running program. The result was Chicago Run a non-profit incentive based program which has promoted running to over 13,000 children.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Chicago resident Alicia Gonzalez enjoys improving the quality of life in her community.
She has experience teaching Latino youth about AIDS, mentoring inner-city kids in Boston, and building private-sector partnerships to better people’s lives through asset-based community development (ABCD)—an approach to community development that emphasizes a community’s assets rather than its deficits.
Several years ago, she was ...
