Do it for your school.

Children spend about 6 – 7 hours a day at school. This makes the school environment important in promoting healthy options and behaviors. Use the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model to promote positive behaviors and lessen negative behaviors. The WSCC model has 10 components:

• Physical education and physical activity.
• Nutrition environment and services.
• Health education.
• Social and emotional climate.
• Physical environment.
• Health services.
• Counseling, psychological and social services.
• Employee wellness.
• Community involvement.
• Family engagement.

Check out the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model and learn more about each of the 10 components.

Children eat half of their daily calories while at school. Creating a nutritious environment allows students access to nutritious foods and teaches them how to make healthy food choices.

• School meal programs help students eat more whole grains, milk, fruits and vegetables. Eating breakfast at school helps with better attendance and test scores. Learn about the School Breakfast Program!
• Healthy food and beverage marketing helps students make better choices about foods. Create policies and practices that promote fruits and vegetables.
• Include school nutrition education throughout the school day! Learn about all the cool school programs Arkansas has like School Gardens and Farm to School.

Students need 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. Schools provide safe and supportive environments for kids to be physically active.

• Provide physical education as an academic subject. Learn about Shape America’s Essential Components of Physical Education.
• Include physical activity breaks in the classroom. Check out these fun ideas and tips!
• Support before and after school programs at your school. Start a walk or bike to school program or become a 21^st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) site to support physical activity at your school!
• Take an outdoor recreation field trip! Check out the Arkansas State Parks Field Trip Grant Program.

Hydrating the body helps children play and learn! Water should be available to students throughout the school day.  Low-fat milk is great to serve at meal time too.

• Water and milk are healthier alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages. Use this toolkit to increase water intake at your school.
• Food and beverage marketing for healthy drinks helps students make better choices about hydration and reducing sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Allow water fountains, dispensers and hydration stations in the school.
• Create policies and practices that promote water! Include water bottles as an option in school policies.

Parents play a big role in child health and learning. When parents are engaged, children choose healthier behaviors, get better grades and have better social skills. It also helps parents be healthy too!

• Connect with parents.
• Include parents in school health activities.
• Keep parents engaged in school health.

Check out these Parents for Healthy Schools resources and strategies for involving parents in school health.