Children—no matter where they live or what grade they are in—benefit from physical education, healthy food and clean water. We are committed to promoting the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model to support and build inclusive, healthy school environments, particularly in marginalized or under-resourced communities.
For example, we’ve seen progress around the country, including the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico near Four Corners. Due to a lack of resources and a generational shift in the kinds of foods Native American youth consume, students face a significant challenge in eating healthy in schools. The result is that children often consume unhealthy foods during the school day in a region that is already plagued by rampant rates of type 2 diabetes and other health challenges. To help build support and momentum for healthier school offerings, youth are being recruited and trained in not only advocating for healthy eating, but also in the use of culturally relevant grains and foods, such as wild onions and corn. The effort, led by Reach Food Coalition and Capacity Builders, Inc., with support from Voices for Healthy Kids, is ultimately designed to get Navajo youth to promote healthy eating, and thereby, get school administrators to act on the growing interest of implementing healthier food policies in schools.
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