HealthierUS School Challenge
Obesity is a growing concern for school children in the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) believes that schools should be taking a leadership role in helping students learn to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices. Many schools have already made changes to their school nutrition environments, improved the quality of the foods served, and now provide students with more nutritious, healthy choices. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) wants to encourage schools to achieve such results, and has established the HealthierUS School Challenge to encourage schools to go further and to recognize those who chose to do so.
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HealthierUS Schools
HealthierUS Schools can be certified as either Bronze, Silver, Gold or Gold with Distinction schools, according to standards established by FNS. The objective is to recognize schools that take specific steps to improve their programs and address obesity and to encourage other schools to follow their lead. Ultimately, FNS would like to see all schools take the challenge! Click this link to see a list of National Award Winners in Kansas.
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 USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge website provides the application packet and other information to assist applicants.
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How Does It Work?
Schools must meet a basic set of criteria. To be certified, a school must:
- be enrolled as a Team Nutrition School
- offer reimbursable lunches that demonstrate healthy menu planning practices meet USDA nutrition standards
- provide students with nutrition education, physical eduction (PE) and opportunities for physical activity (PA)
- maintain required levels of Average Daily Participation (ADP) in National School Lunch Program
- no required ADP for Bronze level
- elementary and middle Schools: 60% for Silver and 70% for Gold and Gold of Distinction
- high schools: 45% for Silver and 65% for Gold and Gold of Distinction
- meet or exceed HUSSC menu criteria established for nutrition standards for meals and competitive foods and beverages.
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Application
FNS has developed application packets that detail criteria that must be met for the four award level designations. The application packets request specific information to verify a school's adherence to the criteria. The school's completed application packet must be evaluated by a local review panel, and endorsed by the school's leadership, including its principal.
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Healthier Kansas Menus were created by Child Nutrition & Wellness, KSDE to assist Kansas schools with meeting the HealthierUS School Challenge.
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Take the Challenge!
- Review the criteria and instructions, and other resources, to assist you in completing your application
- Download the application packet
- Convene a review panel
- Complete the review
- Obtain the required approvals and signatures
- Submit the completed application packet to Child Nutrition & Wellness, KSDE as explained under Submission Procedure
- Certification as a HealthierUS School is for 4 years, from the date of approval.
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Submission Procedure
The school's completed application packet should be sent to Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Department of Education, 120 SE 10th Avenue, Topeka, Kansas 66612. KSDE will evaluate and forward the application packet to the USDA FNS Regional Office.
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Recognition
FNS will review all completed applications and award schools that successfully meet the Challenge with an appropriate recognition plaque. In addition, the recognized schools will be listed on the Team Nutrition Web site, may be chosen to be a part of special FNS media events and may receive other awards that promote and support the principles of the Challenge.
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