School Health Program
Quick Links
School Health and Wellness Coalition
Professional Development Events
Eat Together! campaign (Family Meal)
BACKGROUND
The school health movement in Rockland County, NY began in 2003 when the Rockland County Department of Health received a 5-year Steps to a HealthierNY grant. The purpose of the school health work under the Steps grant was to begin to arrest the childhood obesity epidemic locally by increasing access to better school nutrition and physical activity in county schools.
Between the grant years of 2003-2008:
- Over 150 classroom teachers were trained in how to include physical activity into academic lessons through a course created under the grant entitled, "Learning in Motion"
- 70% of Rockland's public schools K-12 completed the School Health Index, a nationally recognized self-assessment and planning guide on school health
- Over 200 changes were instituted to improve access to better nutrition and physical activity
- All eight school districts including the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) developed district school health advisory councils
- All districts approved comprehensive wellness policies
These acheivements were realized as a result of partnerships between the Rockland County Department of Health, Rockland 21st Century Collaboration for Children and Youth, Rockland Teachers' Center Institute, Rockland schools and dedicated individuals.
PRESENTLY
The partnerships endured after the funding ended through the formation of the Rockland County School Health and Wellness Coalition ("School Coalition") in September 2008.
The School Coalition seeks to have the healthiest students, staff and school communities in the nation by educating and facilitating collaboration between schools, local agencies and businesses to support, optimize and sustain the health and productivity of our students, school staff and community. To that end, the School Coalition meets 4 times per year and has four working groups:
1) School Coalition Steering Committee guides development of the School Coalition
2) Professional Development Workgroup produces two educational events per year on coordinated school health and school health interventions to local educators and parents
3) Protective Factors Workgrouppromotes the family meal through its "Eat Together!" campaign to increase awareness of the importance of the family meal as a way to improve nutrition, child weight control, communication and resistance to substance abuse and teen pregancy.
4) Resource Guide Workgroup is developing a listing of local resources for schools on topics identified by school professionals.
The school health movement also includes the establishment of the School Food Service Directors' Cooperative in spring 2008. It was through the School Food Service Directors Cooperative that Rockland's Farm to School effort began in 2009.
