Buena Park Junior High, Corey Elementary, Gilbert Elementary, Beatty Elementary and Whitaker Elementary all appear on the 2019 list of “America’s healthiest schools.” The list, published by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, identifies 355 of the nation’s healthiest schools based on the school’s ability to meet a rigorous set of criteria—including serving healthier meals and snacks, getting students moving more, offering high-quality health and physical education and empowering school leaders to become healthy role models. 40 California schools made the list.
America’s Healthiest Schools—77% of which are Title I schools that serve high-need student populations—receive Healthier Generation’s National Healthy Schools Award at the Bronze, Silver or Gold level, based on the number of best-practices they have implemented.
Each of the Buena Park schools received bronze awards.
All of America’s Healthiest Schools:
-Meet or exceed federal nutrition standards for school meals and snacks
-Offer breakfast daily
-Incorporate physical activity before, during or after the school day
-Implement district wellness policies and update progress annually
-Involve parents and community members in decision-making
“We are thrilled to see another strong showing of dedicated schools that are taking steps to create healthier school environments that support children’s physical, social and emotional health,” said Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “More than a decade ago, we sought to help schools create a culture of health that puts the well-being of youth and educators front and center. We are blown away by the number of schools, especially those serving youth from underserved communities, that doubled down on their commitment to health and academic success. This year’s list is a continued testament to the nationwide movement for improving the social, emotional and physical health of current and future generations.”
All of America’s Healthiest Schools participate in Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, one of the nation’s largest school-based childhood obesity prevention initiatives that fosters a comprehensive approach to health promotion driven by administrators, teachers, counselors, parents and the surrounding community. Research published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal, “Preventing Chronic Disease,” found that meaningful participation in Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program was linked to reductions in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among students in high-need schools. Since its inception, Healthier Generation has supported more than 42,000 schools serving over 25 million kids in creating healthier learning environments.
“Schools have direct contact with more than 95% of our nation’s young people during some of the most critical years of their development,” said Holly Hunt, chief of the School Health Branch, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “This recognition shows how schools have worked to create an environment where children learn and practice healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime.”
Healthier Generation’s work with award-winning schools is supported by the Assisi Foundation, The JPB Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Mary Black Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio, Target Enterprise, Inc., and United Way of Greater Cleveland.
To view the complete list see HealthiestSchools.org.
