Healthy eating and regular physical activity play a role in preventing chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Many factors influence the food and activity choices of young people. 

Schools play an important role that can affect a child's healthy start. Young people spend more than half their day at school. If they learn to make healthy choices at school, they can carry those habits into adulthood.  

The Coordinated School Health Programs play a key role in this effort. 

View the information and resources listed below for local wellness policy, nutritional environment, physical activity environment, and whole health environment. Contact the local school administrator, school board, and/or school health advisory council for more information on a local school or district’s environment or programs. 

Local Wellness Policy

Requirements

• AHG: Wellness Policies
• Square Meals: Local Wellness Policy

Development

• USDA: Local School Wellness Policy

Implementation

• USDA: Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit
• USDA: Local School Wellness Policy Process

Evaluation

• Rudd Center: WellSAT 3.0

Nutrition Environment

For Educators

• AHG: Smart Snacks  
• CDC: School Nutrition
• Center for Science in the Public Interest: Resource Library - School Foods
• USDA: School Lunch Program Policy Memos

School Meals

• AHG: Nutrition Services 
• CDC: Healthy Schools
• USDA: Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
• USDA: School Breakfast Program
• National School Lunch Program Resources
• Child Nutrition Resource Sharing Site

Nutrition

• DairyMax: Nutrition Education Tools 
• USDA: MyPlate  
• Action for Healthy Kids (AHK): Nutrition and Healthy Eating  

Fundraising

• AHK: Healthy Fundraising  

Additional Resources

• AHK: Healthy & Active Non-Food Rewards
• CDC: School Nutrition  
• TDA: Farm Fresh Initiative - Funding Opportunities  

Physical Activity Environment

Standards

• CDC: Physical Activity Basics
• CDC: Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescent
• SHAPE America: National Guidelines
• SHAPE America: National PE Standards
• Texas Education Agency: 19 TAC Chapter 116. TEKS for Physical Education
• The Cooper Institute: FitnessGram®

For Educators

• CDC: Physical Education and Physical Activity 
• SHAPE America: Professional Development

Physical Activity and Education

• National Fitness Foundation: Presidential Youth Fitness Program
• Safe Routes Partnership: Healthy Communities 

Out of School Activity

• CDC: Out of School Time
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Out-of-School Time

Whole Health Environment

Strategic Planning

• Community Toolbox: Strategic Planning or “VMOSA” (Vision, Mission, Objective, Strategies, and Action Plans)

Family Engagement

• National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement: Resources for Professionals  
• United States Department of Education (USDE): Partners in Education: Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships
• USDE: Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships
• USDE: What Parents and Caregivers Can Ask and Do to help Children Thrive at School

Additional Resources

• CDC: Virtual Healthy School
• National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD): School Health Resources

External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These sites may not be accessible to people with disabilities.

• Fundraising Guidance for Schools