Children in Schools 

Activities: Coordinated School Health | Child Health Advisory Committee

The Children in Schools section was formed from Act 1220 of 2003.  The section works to coordinate statewide efforts to combat childhood obesity and related illnesses to improve the health of the next generation of Arkansans. 

Coordination of statewide efforts is done by providing technical assistance to schools, communities, and organizations supportive of child health, especially childhood obesity prevention.  Coordination is done by facilitating networking among national, state, and local entities with common goals and interests in this area. 

Specifically, the Children in Schools section shares the responsibility of coordinating the monthly Child Health Advisory Committee meetings and supports the implementation of the Arkansas Coordinated School Health Initiative.  This section also supports the activities of the Early Childhood and Schools sub-committee of the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention which includes the expansion of NAP SACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment in Childcare Centers) in early childhood settings.  This section also has responsibility in supporting some of the activities found in the Lifestage Health Branch’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nutrition and Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention Grant.   

Resources

  • Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) is an intervention in child care centers aimed at improving nutrition and physical activity environment, policies and practices through self-assessment and targeted technical assistance. Goals of the program are to improve nutritional quality of food served, amount and quality of physical activity, staff-child interactions, and center nutrition and physical activity policy.
  • Safe Routes to Schools is a popular program spreading across Canada and the U.S. designed to decrease traffic and pollution and increase the health of children and the community. The program promotes walking and biking to school through education and incentives that show how much fun it can be. The program also addresses the safety concerns of parents by encouraging greater enforcement of traffic laws, educating the public, and exploring ways to create safer streets.
  • Action for Healthy Kids is a public-private partnership of more than 60 national organizations and government agencies representing health, fitness, and nutrition, Action for Healthy Kids addresses the epidemic of overweight, sedentary, and undernourished youth by focusing on changes in schools to improve nutrition and increase physical activity.
  • Arkansas Coordinated School Health Program - A Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) model consists of eight interactive components. Schools by themselves cannot, and should not be expected to, address the nation’s most serious health and social problems. Families, health care workers, the media, religious organizations, community organizations that serve youth, and young people themselves also must be systematically involved.
  • DASH:  Division of Adolescent and School Health, Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Establishing healthy behaviors during childhood is easier and more effective than trying to change unhealthy behaviors during adulthood. Schools have a critical role to play in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behavior patterns because
  • Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.
  • MyPyramid for Kids - USDA nutrition information for children ages 6 – 11.  Includes free posters, tips for families, and teacher and classroom resources.
  • Act 1220 and Child Health Advisory Committee -  Act 1220 created the Child Health Advisory Committee to address childhood obesity and develop statewide nutrition and physical activity standards. The Committee meets monthly and will make policy recommendations to the State Board of Education and the State Board of Health.
  • The Arkansas Department of Education, Child Nutrition Unit administers the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Special Milk Program (SMP), the Afterschool Snack Program, the Summer Meals Program and the Seamless Summer Program in the public schools in Arkansas.
  • PE 4 Life - Building healthy student bodies one at a time.  A resource for teachers, parents, school administrators, healthcare, community activists, and industry to inspire active, healthy living by advancing the development of quality, daily physical education programs for all children.
  • National Eating Disorders Association - An organization dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders. There are resources for an individual living with an eating disorder, a family member or friend looking to offer support to a loved one, or a treatment professional looking to help others.  Includes parent and educator toolkits with helpful information, programs and events to increase involvement, newstories, and much more.
  • Nutrition Explorations is a resource for school nutrition professionals, educators and parents.  It is an outreach of The National Dairy Council (NDC), the nutrition marketing arm of Dairy Management Inc.™, has been the leader in dairy nutrition research, education and communication since 1915. NDC provides timely, scientifically sound nutrition information to the media, physicians, dietitians, nurses, educators, consumers and others concerned about fostering a healthier society.
  • BlueAnn Ewe - BlueAnn loves kids, she is a "ewe" (a girl sheep), so some of her best friends are baby goats! Did you know baby goats are called "kids?" That’s one of BlueAnn’s favorite jokes! But seriously, helping children be healthier is what BlueAnn likes to do.
  • Arkansas Center for Health Improvement - Find body mass index measurement protocol, BMI reports by school, school district, and state level.  Also find Year One through Year Four evaluation reports on BMI in Arkansas public schools. 
  • Nutrition and Physical Activity Advisory Committee (NPAAC)/School Wellness Committee: An Implementation Guide for Schools, Parents, and CommunitiesNutrition and Physical Activity Advisory Committee (NPAAC)/School Wellness Committee:An Implementation Guide for Schools, Parents, and Communities