Tapping into the Power: Parents Leading Change for Healthier Schools

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Tapping into the Power Parents Leading Change
for Healthier Schools
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Action for Healthy Kids

• Founded by Dr. David Satcher
• Supports schools
• Tools, resources, and model approaches to improve
  schools
• Impacts the school health environment
• Works inclusively
• PTA is an active and valued partner nationally
  and locally

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Mission

• Engages diverse organizations, leaders, and
• volunteers in actions that foster sound nutrition
  and good physical activity in children, youth,
  and schools.

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Action for Healthy Kids is a National Movement
60 national Partner organizations
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Three Areas of Focus
Improve childrens eating habits
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Three Areas of Focus
Increase childrens physical activity
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Three Areas of Focus
Educate the public about the connection between
health and achievement
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If there were ever some loud sirens out there,
theyre there now, when you begin to talk about
the condition of our children and the rapid pace
at which our own health is declining. Gene
Wilhoit Executive
Director Council of Chief
State School Officers (CCSSO)
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what do parents think?
Parents need to be involved
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Schools welcome parent involvement on issue
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Contacted school to request changes to school
meals
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Contacted school for more physical activity and
education
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Parents are Very Important People

• Any health initiative for youth will be less
  effective if it is not supported and reinforced
  by parents
• Young people want and need healthy messages
  role modeling from parents trusted adults
• Education for parents is often an add on rather
  than an integral part of programs geared towards
  young people

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Key Findings

• Progress has been made
• Need for broader, system-wide changes
• Inadequate resources
• Out with the cupcakes, now in with the nutrient
  rich foods
• Perception and awareness gaps
• School administrators
• Parents
• Parents part of the solution

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Parents and Schools Mutual Reinforcement

• Parent plays a primary role in their childrens
  health
• Over 70 (including parent respondents) parents
  have an opportunity to influence childrens level
  of physical activity and healthy eating
• Parents need information about school wellness
• Need to become educated on wellness and how to
  effectively take action in their childrens
  schools

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How Can We Achieve Positive Changes in School
Wellness?

• More money, resources, time
• Increased funding for school meal programs
• Improve and increase PE/PA opportunities
• Increased parent involvement - at school and at
  home
• Effective school and district based teams
  including collaboration among school
  administrators, boards, staff, parents and
  community members

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Arizona Success

• 2002 AFHK Summit
• Engaging Stakeholders
• ADE Focus Group
• Arizona AFHK Steering Committee
• Team Nutrition Approach
• Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy

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Arizona

• School Nutrition-Food Service Environment
  Physical Activity Nutrition Education Action For
  Healthy Kids, Arizona State Team
• Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy
• Introduction
• Approximately 13 of school-age children are
  obese, and 15 are overweight. (2001 Surgeon
  Generals Report)
• Between 56 85 of school age children consume
  soda everyday. (J Am Diet Assoc. 2003)
• 51 of school-age children consume less than
  one serving of fruits and vegetables a day. (J Am
  Diet Assoc. 2003)
• 84 of school-age children consume too much
  fat. (J Am Diet Assoc. 2003)
• Among children of varying ages, 8 to 45
  (depending on geographic region) of newly
  diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are Type 2,
  non-insulin dependent associated with obesity.
  (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000)
• Most high school students take only one year of
  physical education between grades 9 and 12 and
  less than a third of high school students attend
  physical education classes daily (NASPE 2001).
  One out of four children do not attend any school
  physical education classes (CDC 1999-2000).
• The research listed above presents an alarming
  reality that todays schools, communities, and
  families are faced with addressing. Recognizing
  the value of school meals and good nutrition, the
  Arizona State Team of the Action For Healthy Kids
  Coalition urges school educators, administrators
  and school board officials to create healthy
  school environments through adopting sound
  nutrition-food service environment policies. This
  Arizona model nutrition policy has been
  developed to protect the health of Arizonas
  school children so they may achieve their full
  academic potential.
• The school nutrition-food service environment is
  one of the three initiatives identified by Action
  For Healthy Kids for providing a school
  environment that models health promotion and
  takes action to combat the rising health risks in
  children. The normal school day is for most
  children nearly one-half of their non-sleep time
  day. The school nutrition-food service
  environment is an important and critical partner
  with physical activity and nutrition education in
  improving childrens health.
• All Arizona public, private and charter schools
  should endeavor to voluntarily adopt the policy
  in part or as a whole, recognizing that the
  maximum benefit will be achieved by adopting the
  policy in whole.
• Nutrition Policy-State Board Meeting Draft 9
  Piloted by 2003-2004 2004-2005 Team Nutrition
  Grant Pilot Studies per State Board Approval
  January 2004 and January 2005. Note

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Florida School Wellness

• How to get involved at state level
• How get involved locally
• Who to contact to become a member of your
  schools wellness council or give input
• Florida School Wellness Policies
• http//www.fldoe.org/FNM/Wellness/
• School Wellness Resources
• http//www.fldoe.org/FNM/team/
• http//www.fldoe.org/FNM/wellness/tools.asp

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Florida Team

• Whats Working
• Good team dynamics
• Collaboration with key state-wide stakeholders
• Strong team identity and awareness among peer
  group
• Ongoing support and guidance from national AFHK
• Strong grants coordination

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Florida Team

• Whats Not Working
• Team engagement difficult
• Involvement of parent organizations
• Funding
• Continued engagement of remaining stakeholder
  groups

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PTA AFHK Partnership Across the Country

• Alaska in 2008, promoted school wellness at the
  Frostbite Footrace
• Illinois - in 2005, offered 120 1,000 grants to
  PTA units in the state
• Michigan with Parent Action for Healthy Kids,
  have jointly conducted several presentations to
  encourage parents to advocate for school wellness
• Pennsylvania - the President of the Pennsylvania
  PTA is the Chair of the Pennsylvania AFHK Team
• PTA members are active members of AFHK Teams in
  30 states

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State PTA

• Current priorities and activities school health
  and wellness

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Parents are the Power

• Blueprint and tools for creating change
• Resource for parents to improve their schools
  nutrition and physical activity environment
• How to become an effective parent advocate
• Understand the school environment
• How to conduct a needs assessment
• How to follow the P.A.R.E.N.T. process
• Success stories
• The evaluation process
• Communication process and value

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How to work within the school nutrition
environment

• Engage students, staff and administration
• Provide tools, resources and best practices
  examples
• Have a kick off event
• Do things on a regular basis to keep momentum
  strong
• Celebrate Success

• Assess school level needs using a validated
  instrument
• Join your student at school for lunch or
  breakfast
• Be aware of state statutes and Board of Education
  Rule requirements
• Identify school wellness champions and team
• Develop a do-able plan

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How to work within the school physical education
environment

• Be aware of the physical education requirements
  and curriculum in reference to State Statutes
  Board of Education Rules.
• Volunteer for special events such as Field Days
• Advocate and support the physical education
  program with the school administration and school
  district as a whole
• Be a role model at home for a healthy and
  physically active lifestyle (example take a
  family bike ride, have a healthy picnic and
  activity day at a local park or playground)

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Action for Healthy Kids Resources

• Progress or Promises Whats Working For and
  Against Healthy Schools? August, 2008
• Parent Advocacy Resources
• Field Reports/Case Studies
• Publications
• Wellness Policy Tools
• School-based Programs

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WWW.ActionForHealthyKids.org
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Be the ONE who leads the community

• Most change happens because of the impassioned
  leadership of ONE individual
• Howell Wechsler
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Division of Adolescent and School Health

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Questions?Thank You!

• Mary Haley/National AFHK
• Mary_at_actionforhealthykids.org
• Karen Pesce/Florida AFHK
• Kpesce_at_morehealthinc.org
• Rachael Terrin/Florida AFHK
• Rachael.Terrin_at_fldoe.org
• Jennifer Whittaker Sills
• Jennifer_at_floridamilk.com