Elevate your local wellness policy Action for Healthy Kids Utah (AFHK)

Local Wellness Policy  Each local educational agency (LEA) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or other Child Nutrition Programs, such as the School Breakfast Program (SBP), is required by federal law to establish a local wellness policy (LWP) for all schools under its jurisdiction.

Local Wellness Policy  Local wellness policies are an important tool for parents, local educational agencies (LEAs) and school districts.  Promote student health and reduce childhood obesity  Set specific goals:  Nutrition Education  Physical Activity  School-based activities promoting wellness  Encourage involvement from PE teachers, school and community  Inform and update the public

Administrative Review & Local School Wellness Policy (LWP)  Are all required components present?  How does the public know about the LWP?  Who is involved in LWP development?  How is implementation measured? Required Components Goals for nutrition education, physical activity, nutrition promotion, and other activities promoting student wellness Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on school campus A plan for measuring implementation Designation of officials in charge of school compliance oversight

What documentation you need to show USOE Child Nutrition Programs?  Part of Off-site Assessment, questions  Supporting Documentation (6-8 weeks before AR review)  Submit link or copy of the policy before review  Documentation of efforts to update the LWP  Copy of the most recent assessment on LWP implementation  Identify who is involved in reviewing and updating the policy  How stakeholders are made aware of their ability to participate  How the public is notified about recent assessment of policy

How can Action For Healthy Kids (AFHK) help?  What we do:  AFHK makes schools healthier places so kids can live healthier lives. We have identified three complimentary elements required to make our work successful. It all adds up to the Every Kid Healthy Equation.

Who are AFHK Utah Partners?  Utah State Office of Education Child Nutrition Programs (USOE CNP)  Utah Dairy Council  13 Local Health Departments  University of Utah Division of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology  Utah Department of Health (UDOH)  American Heart Association (AHA)  Utahns Against Hunger (UAH)  Brigham Young University Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science  Utah State University  School Nutrition Association of Utah  Utah Parent Teacher Association

How can AFHK help?  Provide resources, regulations and technical assistance regarding wellness policies  Share with school districts model local wellness policies and show how implementing specific goals for physical activity and nutrition would benefit administrators  Provide results from USOE WellSAT tool which assesses the quality of each LEA’s wellness policy  Promote and educate through presentations to various groups such as teachers, parents, students, and administrators to encourage wellness policy implementation and/or provide background on nutrition and physical activity guidelines and obesity prevention

How can AFHK help?  Healthy food offerings in the school and early childcare environments  Promote positive and healthy marketing for foods and beverages at schools  Evaluation of goals to be included on wellness policies  Nutrition Guidelines for foods on campus  Work with nutrition directors and PE specialists to strengthen wellness policies before USOE Administrative Review  Sit on wellness committees to assist as needed  Provide information on grant opportunities that support school wellness

What to do next?  If you need assistance with any of the areas on this presentation, contact Sebasthian Varas at to coordinate how AFHK can help you elevate your local wellness