Nutrition Programs
Spotlight On Schools
This Just In
- Interagency Nutrition Council (INC) National Nutrition Month Robin A. Orr Community Partnership Award
The Interagency Nutrition Council (INC) is celebrating National Nutrition Month® by commemorating those that are doing great things in the area of wellness with the Robin A. Orr Community Partnership Award. INC is currently taking nominations for outstanding work being done in the area of nutrition, physical activity, wellness and food access for pre-school aged children. We are hosting a poster contest related to healthy eating; regular physical activity and wellness. These programs may be schools, Head Start programs, child care programs, and community programs serving pre-school age children. INC is looking to catch those that are doing great things in Illinois and would love to hear from you. If you have any additional questions, contact Lindsay Blough at lblough@isbe.net or via telephone at 800/545-7892.
- Is Your School Interested in Taking the HealthierUS School Challenge?
Learn all you need to know to submit an award worthy HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) application. Take away resources and success stories from Illinois schools that have successfully met the Challenge criteria.
SAVE THE DATE!
What: Step Up and Stand Out: Join the HealthierUS School Challenge Webinar
Who: The Illinois Nutrition Education and Training Program
When: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012; 2-3 p.m.
Where: Watch from your computer!
How: Go to www.KidsEatWell.org for more informationThe HealthierUS School Challenge is a voluntary initiative program from the USDA. The program recognizes schools that have created a healthier school environment with nutrition education, physical education, and physical activity. This project has been funded at least in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Rural Development’s Community Facilities – Low-Interest Loans and Grants
ATTN: Communities serving populations of up to 20,000
Did you know that the Rural Development Community Facilities (CF) program offers low-interest and grants for non-profit organizations, public bodies, and tribal organizations for community child nutrition facilities, as well as equipment purchases to improve access to healthy, locally, or regionally grown products? Examples of approved uses of these funds include renovation of cafeterias and purchase of food preparation and storage equipment, as well as implementation of garden programs.
Please contact your local USDA Rural Development office for more information and visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HCF_CF.html. - National Food Service Management Institute’s Newsletters
Discover practical suggestions derived from the research and projects conducted by the National Food Service Management Institute’s, in the NFMSI Insight at http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=122. Learn about the NFSMI’s latest resources, conference and training workshop announcements, and recent research in the quarterly NFSMI Update newsletter at http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=239. Join the emailing lists at the URL below for both of the above resources. http://www.nfsmi.org/Templates/TemplateDivision.aspx?qs=cElEPTEx.
- Illinois School Wellness Programs Database
Database includes over 20 programs, initiatives, and grants with the respective Illinois schools recognized at the annual Illinois School Wellness from A to Z conference.
New Grant Opportunities
- Culinary Techniques for Healthy School Meals – Stipend and Certification Hours Available
- Obesity Policy-related Research Funding Available from the National Cancer Institute
- 2011-2012 School Employee Wellness Awards Program Accepting Applications
Does your school offer you a wellness program? If so, consider applying for recognition in the 2011-2012 School Employee Wellness (SEW) Awards Program, sponsored by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE). Applications must be submitted by February 15, 2012 online. This award program recognizes schools and school districts that demonstrate commitment to the health of their employees by implementing school employee wellness programs. Awardees will receive special recognition for their efforts that include grants (Bronze $250, Silver $500, Gold $1,000) to be reinvested in their employee wellness programs.
A webinar was held January 4, 2012 hosted by DHPE to review the SEW Awards Program and application. To apply for DHPE’s School Employee Wellness Award Program, or to learn more about school employee wellness programs, visit www.schoolempwell.org.
- Fuel Up to Play 60 Funding Available to Help Schools Make Healthy Changes!
Fuel Up to Play 60, the in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council,® Midwest and St. Louis Dairy Councils and the National Football League, in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is helping to make wellness part of the game plan in Illinois schools. Funding opportunities for Fuel Up to Play 60 are available to K-12 schools enrolled in the program. The competitive, nationwide funding program is designed to help schools jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements.
Mark your calendar now for upcoming application deadlines: February 1, 2012; and June 1, 2012.
To learn more, download a step-by-step application worksheet and apply for funding; visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com
- Salad Bar Grant Opportunity
Attention: Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) wanting to offer more fresh produce to your students! The United Fresh Association and the Let's Move initiative are offering a salad bar grant opportunity for K-12 schools participating in NSLP. Schools that are certified as USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC), will automatically receive a salad bar grant simply by applying. Grants to non-HUSSC schools will be awarded on a competitive basis. The Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative has a goal to fund and award 6,000 salad bars by the end of 2013. Currently, over 800 salad bars have been granted. A school district may apply for multiple salad bars, one per school building. Let your school be the next to receive a salad bar!
Apply today at http://saladbars2schools.org/guidelines.
School Recognition
- Fariview South School Goes GOLD and GREEN!
- Fourth Illinois School Earns Highest Certification in HealthierUS School Challenge
Congratulations to Fairview South School, Fairview School District 72, in Skokie, for achieving the Gold Award of Distinction certification in the HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC). This marks Illinois’ fourth school to receive this distinguished recognition. This recognition exemplifies the school’s effort to build a healthier school environment through better nutrition and physical activity practices. Kudos to all of the HUSSC certified schools in Illinois. For the complete list of Illinois award winners, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html. To locate the schools, visit the Healthy Access Locator, also available at that website.The HUSSC was initiated in 2004. Effective October 20, 2011 over 2,000 schools are HUSSC certified ~ 2,161 to be exact, representing 45 states.
- Eighteen Schools Receive HealthierUS School Challenge Mini-grants
Congratulations to the 18 Illinois schools that have been awarded grants from the Illinois Nutrition Education and Training (NET) Program in preparation to take the HealthierUS School Challenge during the 2011 - 2012 school year. The HealthierUS School Challenge is a voluntary recognition program from USDA Food and Nutrition Service that recognizes outstanding achievement in healthier school environments. The mini-grants are provided through a 2010 USDA Team Nutrition Training grant received by the Illinois State Board of Education. Winning schools are listed below.
District/School |
City |
Award Amount |
| Chicago Public School District 299 Skinner North Classical School
|
Chicago |
$3,500 |
| Crystal Lake Community Unit School District 47 Husmann Elementary School
|
Crystal Lake |
$3,500 |
| Diocese of Rockford St. Mary's School Sterling
|
Sterling |
$3,500 |
| Egyptian Community Unit School District 5 Egyptian Elementary School |
Tamms |
$3,500 |
| Payson Community Unit School District 1 Payson Seymour Grade School |
Payson |
$3,500 |
| Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 Chenoa Elementary School |
Chenoa |
$3,500 |
| Woodstock Community Unit School District 200
Clay Elementary School
Creekside Middle School Dean Street Elementary School Greenwood Elementary School Mary Endres Elementary School Northwood Middle School Olson Elementary School Prairiewood Elementary School Verda Dierzen Early Learning Center Westwood Elementary School Woodstock High School Woodstock North High School |
Woodstock |
$24,500 |
For more information on the HealthierUS School Challenge, please visit USDA Team Nutrition website at http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/HealthierUS/index.html.
