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Act

Ready to make your school healthy? Use these resources to help you facilitate change.

Advocacy Tools and Strategies

The following resources, adapted from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) School Foods Toolkit, were designed to help you make healthy changes at your school. Feel free to adapt any materials for your needs.

• Organizing for change: Strategies for Improving School Foods and Beverages

• Talking Points for Meetings or Phone Calls

• Generating Media Coverage

• Survey of School Vending Machines

• Sample Testimony to School Board

• Sample Letter to Superintendent of Schools

• Sample Letter to the Editor

• Sample Press Release

• Sample Petition/Open Letter

Know the Facts: Competitive Foods Policy at Every Level of Government:

• Know the Federal policy: Current Federal standards for competitive foods are weak. These guidelines only restrict the sale of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (e.g. hard candy, gum, and seltzer water) in the cafeteria during lunch periods and allow all other types of foods and drinks at any time. The USDA has proposed revised nutrition standards for competitive foods, which are open for public comment until April 9, 2013.

• Know your State policy: Use the State School Healthy Policy Database from the National Association of State Boards of Education to find out if your state has a policy for snack foods and drinks sold in schools.

• Know your Local District policy: Ask your principal or superintendent for a copy of the school district wellness policy, which is required to set nutrition standards for snack foods and drinks sold in schools. If it’s not being enforced, read this guide from ChangeLab Solutions for tips on how to ensure your district’s policy is enforced. If the policy is not strong, use this tool from Action for Healthy Kids to get started creating a stronger policy.

Model Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a group which advises the U.S. Congress on health and science issues, convened an expert advisory panel to develop nutritional guidelines for snacks and drinks sold in schools. The IOM guidelines are considered by advocates to be a model standard for schools; download an overview of the guidelines here.

Model State and Local Policy

Use the following links to see examples of model policies, which you can use to create a policy for your school district or state.

• School District Wellness Policy: Model language for a school district policy to address nutrition and physical activity.

• School Board Resolution: Model language for a school board resolution to provide healthy beverages at (and ban soda from) schools.

• State Legislation: Many states have passed strong policies to set nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold in during the school day. Click on the state names to see model policies from Massachusetts, West Virginia, California and Mississippi.