School Wellness Council Project

Following the Child Nutrition and Women Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004, the School Wellness Council Project was created by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) with the goal to promote healthy eating and physical activity among children. The project received a 5-year grant from the New York State Department of Health Healthy Heart Program in 2005. In 2006 the NYC DOHMH began training and providing resources to schools enrolled in the School Wellness Council Project. Participating schools are required to adopt the NYC Department of Educations' District Wellness Policy. The District Wellness Policy has 6 components: school Wellness Councils; nutritional quality of school food meals; nutrition education and promotion; physical activity opportunity and physical education; staff wellness; monitoring and policy review.

The council is made up of parents, teachers, students, health professionals and school administrators. The council assesses the school needs and develops policy to address the needs. The school is required to implement programs and policies that create opportunities for students to have access to healthy food choices, nutrition education and physical education that will foster life-long habits of healthy eating and active lifestyle. Parents and teachers are encouraged to participate in the decisions students make regarding their diet, and are provided recommendations on how to coach students on eating healthy. Physical activity is reinforced through the creation of outdoor recess periods, before and after school extracurricular activities and sport programs. The council leader or the school principal is in charged of ensuring policy compliance.

The mission of the New York City Department of Education wellness policy is to reduce sedentary lifestyle and to promote nutritious eating among children.

Since the project began in 2006, 100 public elementary schools in North and Central Brooklyn, East and Central Harlem, and the South Bronx have participated in the School Wellness Councils Project. The NYC Department of Education is planning to review the policy in the 2010-2011 school year.