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New Kansas City School Wellness Policy!

Exciting news out of Kansas City, Mo.! On Dec.12, the Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education passed a wellness policy to ensure opportunities for all students to practice healthy eating and physical activity throughout the school day!

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The policy establishes goals and procedures to ensure that:

  • All students in the district have access to healthy foods throughout the school day—both through reimbursable school meals and other foods available throughout the school campus—in accordance with federal and state nutrition standards;
  • All students receive quality nutrition education that helps them develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors;
  • All students have opportunities to be physically active before, during, and after school;
  • All schools engage in nutrition and physical activity promotion and other activities that promote student wellness;
  • All school staff are encouraged and supported to practice healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors in and out of school;
  • The community is engaged in supporting the work of the district in creating continuity between school and other settings for students and staff to practice lifelong healthy habits; and
  • The district establishes and maintains an infrastructure for management, oversight, implementation, communication about, and monitoring of the policy and its established goals and objectives.

Nearly one in every three children in Kansas City, Mo. is at an unhealthy weight, putting them at risk for chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Because the school environment plays an important role in the food choices made by children, the district-wide policy that restricts the extent to which unhealthy foods can be marketed will positively impact the health of more than 15,000 students.

Congratulations to Communities Creating Opportunity, a Voices for Healthy Kids grantee, and all the advocates who are working to make Kansas City healthier for all children!
 

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Want to make progress in your community? Check out our School Wellness toolkit!