The third annual Healthy Schools Forum was held in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 4-6, and school representatives received awards from President Bill Clinton, and American Heart Association President-Elect Dr. Clyde Yancy, as well as Dr. James Marks, Senior Vice President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the major funder of the Healthy Schools Program.
"Despite the rising food prices and constrained budgets impacting programs nationally, these schools are using innovative approaches to curb the country’s alarming rates of childhood obesity," President Clinton said. "Schools around the country are stepping up and making progress. Currently, we are helping to support nearly 3,000 schools in this effort, but there is more work to be done to continue this forward momentum."
The award presenters praised school leaders for their achievements in removing unhealthy foods from cafeterias and vending machines and for finding creative ways for students to be increasingly active during the school day. Such efforts have become more difficult in the last year due to high food costs and funding cuts for physical activity programs at local, state and federal levels. Yet the schools honored today have made major strides since joining the Healthy Schools Program.
In Tampa, Fla., for example, Kenly Elementary School banished candy from its building, and students used tires and logs to build an obstacle course to tackle between classes. In Pine Hill, N.J., Pine Hill Middle School now offers a student fitness club, and the staff does yoga twice a week.
Schools participating in the Healthy Schools Program are eligible to earn bronze, silver, gold or platinum awards based on their range of healthy eating and physical activity programs and policies. The rigorous program criteria were developed in consultation with a panel of experts, including representatives from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others.