Healthy Schools Act Snapshot

The D.C. Farm to School Network at Arcadia thinks the Healthy Schools Act is pretty great.  It's a local law passed in 2010 that sets high standards for health and wellness in all Washington, DC public and public charter schools.  We're especially excited about the nutrition and food quality requirements that schools must adhere to, which translate to more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in school meals.  It even gives schools a financial incentive to serve local food!  Learn more about the Healthy Schools Act on our website.

We worked with D.C. Hunger Solutions and a number of other community organizations to pull together a Healthy Schools Act Snapshot for the 2010 school year, which was when the Healthy Schools Act first went into effect.  The document shows how differnt parts of the Act have been implemented thus far, and which areas have the biggest room for improvement.

Check out the Healthy Schools Act Snapshot for yourself how this landmark piece of legislation is overhauling the health of Washington, DC schoolchildren, is working in communities in our nation's capital!

DCPS Wellness Policy includes Farm to School

D.C. youth have among the highest child obesity, hunger, and poverty rates in the nation.  Since these kids spend a lot of time each day at school, we have a great opportunity to influence their health and wellness by making positive changes to the school environment.

D.C. Public Schools worked with community partners to design a Local Wellness Policy.  This document lays out a road map to make DCPS schools healthy, safe, and green.  Over the past few months, Arcadia's D.C. Farm to School Network was a part of this coalition that updated the Local Wellness Policy for its launch this week.  The policy sets ambitious targets for physical activity, nutrition, and environmental sustainability for DCPS. It also outlines a community engagement and implementation plan.  Download a copy of the wellness policy HERE.

We're excited to see Farm to School in the Wellness Policy!

• School meals will include fresh, locally-grown foods from farms engaged in sustainable practices whenever possible.
• Schools should encourage more student interaction with the food preparation process, including farm visits, cooking demonstrations and taste tests.
• DCPS will incorporate farm to school/food origin education into its standard curriculum.

We look forward to working together with DCPS to make the vision articulated in the Local Wellness Policy a reality.