A Boot Camp to Promote Healthy Food in Schools

By John Rosales The rigorous culinary training that Donna West attended in Aurora, Colorado, involved much more than cooking classes. West is a lunchroom and child nutrition manager at Brownwood Elementary School in Scottsboro, Alabama. For five long days spent in a high school kitchen and classrooms, West and two dozen other public school food [...]

NEA-Backed Child Nutrition Bill Passes Congress

By Meredith Barnett Today, the NEA-supported “Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act” passed the House of Representatives in a 264-157 vote. The bill, which the Senate unanimously passed in August, expands eligibility for lunch programs and sets nutrition standards for school meals. It is the first increase in school lunch funding since 1973. “[This] offers a real [...]

The Latest on Getting Healthy Munches in School Lunches

By Meredith Barnett Mystery meat has left the building. In school lunchrooms across the country, students are filling their cafeteria trays with more fresh produce and award-winning nutritional entrees as schools change the way they approach nutrition. Chefs and community members are coming to the table — bolstered by national initiatives like Michelle Obama’s Let’s [...]

Health Care Reform Takes Effect Today

by Tim Walker Today, the landmark Affordable Care Act, signed into law six months ago, begins to go into effect, delivering crucial benefits and protections to families across the country. “September 23 is a new day for American consumers in our health care system,” Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, remarked last week. [...]

Schools Ready for Flu Season, H1N1

By Meredith Barnett Sneezes and sniffles are starting to infiltrate classrooms and flu season is on its way. But schools and health organizations, armed with lessons learned from 2009’s pandemic flu outbreak, are preparing early. This year, H1N1 poses less of a threat, and schools are better equipped to hold vaccination clinics and continue “sickness [...]