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School Market Program
This program is a hands-on learning curriculum that teaches students to improve their diets, develop employment and entrepreneurial skills, and educate themselves about issues that affect their health and the health of their communities.

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A reform effort that works to improve the policy on vending machine snacks.

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Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Initiative

Healthy eating patterns during childhood and adolescence promote optimal growth and development and prevent health problems such as childhood obesity, iron deficiency anemia and dental caries. By establishing healthy eating habits during youth, long-term problems such as coronary artery disease, cancer, stroke, adult obesity, hypertension and osteoporosis may be prevented.

About the Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy

In 2003, The Food Trust developed a Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy for the School District of Philadelphia (1200K .pdf) to help youth attain their full educational potential and good health by providing them with the skills, social support and environmental reinforcement needed to adopt long-term healthy eating habits. The policy is based upon guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control.

The Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Initiative was evaluated by Dr. Gary Foster of Temple University. The initiative was found to reduce the incidence of childhood overweight by 50%. The results were published in the journal Pediatrics.

Healthy School Toolkit

The Healthy School Toolkit is designed to help parents, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders confront the epidemic of childhood obesity by developing and implementing a comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Initiative. The tools in this kit are modeled after a successful nutrition policy- and education-based program in Philadelphia schools, which reduced new cases of childhood overweight by 50%. The Toolkit offers resources and information to benefit the children and families in your community by improving the school environment to help prevent childhood obesity. 

Download a copy of  The Food Trust’s Healthy School Toolkit.

The multi-disciplinary Policy includes these components:

  • Nutrition Education in Schools: Students participate in interactive, relevant nutrition education that is integrated into regular subjects in the curriculum.

  • Food Services: All food sold at school meets healthy food requirements and is linked to classroom nutrition education.

  • Staff Training: Teachers and other staff are equipped to incorporate nutrition education in their curriculum.

  • Family and Community Involvement: Families and local community groups participate in nutrition education activities.

  • Program Evaluation: The program is evaluated on an ongoing basis and adapted as necessary to improve its effectiveness.

The Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Task Force developed this policy. The Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Task Force is hosted by The Food Trust.

Funded by PENNSYLVANIA NUTRITION EDUCATION TRACKS, a part of USDA's Food Stamp Program, The Food Trust’s nutrition education program brings interactive, direct nutrition education programming to 90 schools in Philadelphia, Norristown, and Reading.  Programming includes classroom lessons, parent outreach, and school-wide events such as healthy taste-tests and assemblies. Educators work with teachers and school staff to provide exciting ways for them to incorporate nutrition messages into their curriculum.  Reinforcement materials such as folders, notebooks, and water bottles are distributed at all schools.