School-Aged Youth

Mission:
The mission of the School-aged Youth Workgroup was to develop realistic, science based, culturally sensitive and measurable strategies directed to youth from kindergarten through high school and in after-school settings.  The Workgroup focused on schools, families and communities and generated recommendations not only for schools but also for families with school-aged children and for preschool settings.  Recommendations for strategies taking place in settings other than schools appear in chapters addressing Social and Cultural Environments and also Early Childhood Education and Care. Discussion was guided by a common understanding of the following three principles:

  • Childhood obesity is a multifaceted issue; healthy students are better learners, and healthy environments are critical to the well being of our nation.
  • Better access to physical activity and to nutrient-rich food and beverage choices, provided by a variety of stakeholders, can create environments that motivate and teach children to make healthful choices.
  • Strategies should focus on implementing policies, procedures and educational opportunities consistent with the federal school wellness mandates in order to create sustainable healthy environments.

Context: 

Workgroup members shared a strong commitment to creating healthy school environments that support all children in making healthful food and beverage choices and that give them ample opportunities to be physically active.  To reinforce messages about making healthy choices available to them in the school setting, workgroup members also recommended providing students with nutrition education as part of the daily curriculum, encouraging healthy role modeling by adults, and adopting policies to promote physical activity and healthy eating. 

Ten Year Vision:

By 2020:

The norm in school settings will include:

  • High quality school meals made from fresh, minimally processed foods that provide good sources of key nutrients at calorie levels appropriate for school-aged children.
  • Ample offerings of nutrient-rich foods and beverages in the cafeteria, vending machines, student stores, concessions and fundraising initiatives.
  • Ample offerings of fresh, frozen and/or canned fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, legumes/lentils, nuts, and low fat dairy foods and beverages.
  • Easy access to fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, through 1) salad bars or fruit bars in school lunch or breakfast programs, and 2) the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in every school in Montana.
  • Celebrations, classroom reward systems and fundraising initiatives that are not based on unhealthy foods.
  • Physical and health education classes taught by certified PE or qualified teachers for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
  • Ample physical activity opportunities (structured and unstructured; inside and outside; and integrated into lessons as appropriate) for all students for 60 minutes or more per day.
  • Regularly scheduled brain breaks or physical activity breaks for students throughout the school day.
  • Experiential learning opportunities that educate and empower youth to value their health and choose behaviors that promote personal health and sensible active lifestyles.
  • Experiential learning opportunities that empower and support parents with information and tools to motivate them to make good lifestyle choices for themselves and their children.
  • Presence of a school health council, including student representation, that directs, monitors and helps to motivate staff, students, parents and community members to implement school policies and procedures that support health and academic success.
  • Ample opportunities for multi-cultural foods, high quality physical activity opportunities, and school health councils that address multicultural issues.
  • Presence of school employee wellness programs that support staff in health promotion for themselves and motivate them to be healthy role models for students.
  • Provisions that enable all Montana schools and after school programs to follow policies that 1) offer exclusively nutrient rich foods  (based on the Institute of Medicine recommendations) in age appropriate portions, and 2) a standardized health enhancement curriculum that meets national educational content standards.
  • Strong presence of multi-cultural foods and Montana-grown or Montana-processed foods in school menus, snacks and fundraising events.
  • Large presence of school gardens and garden-based experiential learning experiences.
  • Fitness centers for students and staff to utilize during school hours but also before and after school hours and on the weekends.

This vision is consistent with specific Healthy People 2020 goals as follows:  

NWS HP2020–6: Increase the contribution of fruits to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

NWS HP2020–7:
Increase the variety and contribution of vegetables to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

NWS HP2020–17:
Reduce consumption of calories from solid fats and added sugars in the population aged 2 years and older.

HP2010 19-9:
Increase the proportion of persons aged 2 years and older who consume no more than 30 percent of calories from total fat.

NWS HP2020–9:
Reduce consumption of saturated fat in the population aged 2 years and older.

PAF HP2020–8:
Increase the proportion of children and adolescents that meet guidelines for television viewing and computer use.

PAF HP2020–10:
Increase the proportion of trips made by walking.

PAF HP2020–11:
Increase the proportion of trips made by bicycling.

 

Two Year Objectives:

By 12/12:

  1. Develop and disseminate a policy that restricts fundraising activities and supports the sale of competitive foods that meet the guidelines as defined by the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge or Institute of Medicine recommendations in school cafeterias during meal times.
    Who: Montana School Nutrition Association, Montana Team Nutrition Program, Montana Beverage Association, Office of Public Instruction, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program (NAPA)
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED
  1. Increase the number of school districts that limit access in middle schools to competitive foods that do not meet the Institute of Medicine guidelines.
    Who: NAPA
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED
  1. Increase the number of schools that obtain state and national recognition for school wellness for students or employee wellness programs through the Healthier Montana Menu Challenge, and the Healthier US School Challenge.
    Who:  Montana Team Nutrition, Office of Public Instruction
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA
  1. Create and disseminate procurement guidelines on incorporating farm fresh foods in school meal programs.
    Who:  Montana Team Nutrition, AERO, Grow Montana, local Farm to School Chapters
    Behavior: ↑FV
  1. Increase the number of school gardens in school districts.
    Who: OPI, Montana Team Nutrition, Montana Action for Healthy Kids
    Behavior: ↑FV
  1. Increase training opportunities and marketing efforts for certification of school nutrition program staff (through Montana School Nutrition Association/School Nutrition Association) in the planning, preparation and marketing of healthful school meals and snacks.
    Who: Office of Public Instruction, Montana Team Nutrition Program, Montana School Nutrition Association,
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓ED
  1. Increase the number of mini-grants related to school wellness policy issues (nutrition, health education, farm to school, physical activity) available to school districts or community organizations.
    Who:  OPI, MT Team Nutrition, MT Action for Healthy Kids, Eat Right Montana, Rural Health Initiative, NAPA
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF
  1. Consult with Billings Clinic as they develop a childhood obesity prevention social marketing campaign to explore how the campaign can educate youth on healthy eating strategies including age appropriate portion sizes, nutrient density and hydration.
    Who: NAPA
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB  ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF
  1. Host one meeting with key stakeholders to explore school-based educational opportunities on breastfeeding for youth.
    Who: Office of Public Instruction, Montana NAPA, MT Breastfeeding Coalition, Montana Dietetic Association, MAHPERD, MT School Nurses Association,
    Behavior: ↑BF
  1. Develop and disseminate a policy to guide schools in the promotion and implementation of walk to school programs.
    Who: MT Safe Routes to School State Network Partnership; MT School Boards Association.
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Offer at least one educational session on (include source/organization ?) Journeys from Home to health enhancement and other teachers.
    Who: MT Department of Transportation; MT Safe Routes to School State Network Partnership; MT Office of Public Instruction
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Publicize Journeys from Home as an appropriate component of Safe Routes to School Programs.
    Who: MT Safe Routes to School State Network Partnership
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Draft and disseminate a model policy to guide school siting decisions.
    Who: MT Safe Routes to School State Network Partnership; MT School Boards Association.
    Behavior: ↑ PA
  1. Offer at least one statewide educational session on effective ways to increase physical activity opportunities during the school day to administrators, teachers, and school wellness policy health council members.
    Who: MT Rural Health Initiative, MT Action for Healthy Kids, NAPA
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Draft and disseminate a model policy for restricting advertisements that promote unhealthy foods or beverages on school campuses.
    Who: MT Team Nutrition; MT Action for Healthy Kids; MT School Boards Association.
    Behavior: ↓SSB  ↓ED
  1. Draft and disseminate a model policy on the importance of and the recommendations concerning scheduling of recess periods to support better learning, behavior, and health in elementary children.
    Who: NAPA; MT Action for Healthy Kids; MT School Boards Association.
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Offer at least one statewide educational session on effective ways to schedule recess and strategies for encouraging active recess periods to administrators, teachers, and school health council members.
    Who: MT Rural Health Initiative, MT Action for Healthy Kids, MT Team Nutrition, NAPA
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Offer at least one statewide educational session on incorporating Native Games into health enhancement curricula.
    Who: MT Rural Health Initiative, NAPA
    Behavior: ↑PA
  1. Update health enhancement state level educational content standards with input from a variety of stakeholders and to be congruent with national standards from AAHPERD.
    Who: Montana Association of Health, PE, Recreation and Dance; OPI, MTAFHK.
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF

 

Five Year Goals:

By 12/16:

  1. 95% of school districts will have adopted policies and procedures that ensure all foods sold or offered in school settings (USDA school meals programs, competitive foods, student stores, fundraising, sports concessions) meet the school-based nutrition recommendations of the Institute of Medicine .
    Who:  Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs, Montana Team Nutrition Program, Montana PTA, Montana School Boards Association, School Administrators of Montana, Montana School Nutrition Association, Montana Beverage Association, Montana NAPA, local school districts and public health departments.
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED

  2. Montana school meal programs will provide students with nutrient rich, especially fresh and minimally processed foods, including local foods that meet the USDA regulations and Dietary Guidelines for Americans for school-aged children.
    Who:  Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs, Montana Team Nutrition Program, Montana PTA, Montana School Boards Association, School Administrators of Montana, Montana School Nutrition Association, Montana NAPA
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB

  3. During the school day, school aged youth will be empowered to make healthful food and beverage choices, be motivated to stay physically active, understand how to critically analyze advertisements and accept body size diversity.
    Who:  Montana Association of Health, PE Recreation and Dance, MT Team Nutrition, MT Action for Healthy Kids, OPI,
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF

  4. Increase the number of school nurses in districts.
    Who:  Montana School Nurses Association
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV

  5. Increase the number of district-level school health/wellness councils in Montana.
    Who: Montana Team Nutrition, OPI, School Administrators of Montana, MTAFHK
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV

  6. Implement and evaluate a pilot project involving a school-based health clinic in a high risk population school district.
    Who:  ?
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV

  7. Build statewide capacity for high quality instruction of the health enhancement curriculum, and training of teachers on this subject.
    Who:  Montana Association of Health, PE, Recreation and Dance; OPI; MSU; U of M;
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF

  8. Build statewide support for helping schools meet the physical activity time requirements as recommended for children, (150 minutes/week- elementary; 225 minutes/week-middle school) during the school week.
    Who: Montana Association of Health, PE, Recreation and Dance; OPI; MT Action for Healthy Kids;
    Behavior: ↑PA

  9. Youth will be motivated to enjoy a wide variety of physical activity and recreational activities to maintain fitness levels.
    Who: MAPHERD; Forest Service, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Indian Education Coordinators, Native Games Society
    Behavior: ↑PA ↓TV

  10. Increase support for data collection at the state and local levels that provides support for policy and environmental changes in school settings, and to assess the health status of children (BMI, Food Intake, Fitness levels)
    Who: Office of Public Instruction, Montana NAPA, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, local health departments, MT School Nurses Association,
    Behavior: ↑FV ↓SSB ↓ED ↑PA ↓TV ↑BF