Your local school wellness policy can be a useful tool to establish higher expectations and standards for the foods and beverages available in school. The information below is intended for parents, local educational agencies (LEA’s) and school districts looking to use wellness policies to support student health.
Develop and Implement Model School Wellness Policy Language for Water
All schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are required by law to implement a school wellness policy. These policies are intended to help schools create and maintain a healthy environment for students, and must include goals and guidelines related to nutrition promotion and education. Incorporating language about water access and promotion into your school or district wellness policy will help support these broader efforts and sustain the positive changes you make as a part of your water program.
Resources
- The School Wellness Policy Evaluation Tool: This evaluation tool from the Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity provides a tool for evaluating a school’s wellness policy.
- USDA, Food and Nutrition Service: This page from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA’s) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides support for developing a wellness policy.
- Water Access in Schools-Model Wellness Policy Language: This resource from the National Policy and Legal Analysis Network (NPLAN) can help promote water consumption in schools. The “policy package” has a set of model goals and actions for schools to incorporate into their wellness policies.
- Water Works Guide Wellness Policy