In the News
OH Board of Education Endorses Smoke-Free School Campuses - Recently, the Ohio Board of Education adopted a resolution encouraging all Ohio school districts to institute 100% tobacco-free school campuses.
Ohio's high youth tobacco use rates (more than 30% of high school students and 11% of middle schoolers) illustrate the importance of districts adopting comprehensive tobacco-free policies for everyone on school grounds.
If we are to discourage youth tobacco use, we must all set the example--particularly where our kids go to learn every day.
Click here to access the "Spring Into Action" Packet that contains model Physical Activity and 100% Tobacco Free Schools policies as well as a tool to assess current policies. This resource was created by the Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) with funding from the Ohio Department of Health.
Implementing Strong Nutrition Standards for Schools:
Financial Implications – New DASH Fact Sheet
DASH has created a new resource on “Implementing Strong Nutrition Standards for Schools: Financial Implications”. This fact sheet summarizes the existing evidence of the financial impact on schools that have implemented strong nutrition standards. Implementing nutrition standards can be an effective strategy to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered and purchased in the school setting.
One of the primary reasons that state and local education agencies are hesitant to implement strong nutrition standards for competitive foods is that they are concerned about losing the revenue that is generated from selling snacks and beverages to students. However, a key finding presented is that while some schools report an initial decrease in revenue after implementing nutrition standards, a growing body of evidence suggests that schools can have strong nutrition standards and still maintain financial stability.
This fact sheet is available for download at: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/pdf/financial_implications.pdf
Addressing the Needs of the Whole Child - Addressing the Needs of the Whole Child: What Public Health Can Do To Answer the Education Sector’s Call for a Stronger Partnership, Allensworth, D., et al. (2011). Preventing Chronic Disease.
This article is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/mar/10_0014.htm
Dealing with School Attendance and Truancy: Attendance Counts Website - Attendance counts is a national and state level initiative promoting awareness of the important role that school attendance plays in achieving academic success. Click HERE to learn more
Department of Education Launches New Web Site: BullyingInfo.org
House Passed FIT Kids Act on 4/21/2010 - The purpose of FIT Kids is to increase awareness of physical activity opportunities at school, and for other purposes.This bill has been passed in the House. The bill now goes on to be voted on in the Senate.
NASBE Releases School Obesity Policy Report - Even as momentum to prevent childhood obesity increases across the nation, a new report from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) finds that school policies for older students are weak. The report, Obesity Prevention Policies for Middle and High Schools: Are We Doing Enough?, concludes that states and school districts have not widely adopted policies that could help middle and high school students be more active and eat healthier.
