WELL Campaign focuses attention on healthy school lunch
(Above) Benedetto (l) joined the WELL Campaign, legislators and advocates for a ‘Lunch and Learn’ panel discussion about school wellness
policy. Photo courtesy of WELL Campaign
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A BTR PRIL 5-11, 2019 49
The WELL Campaign, an advocacy
effort to improve student health
and well-being in New York, partnered
with Assemblymember Michael Benedetto
and the American Heart Association
to host a ‘School Wellness Policy
Lunch & Learn.’
Senator Shelley Mayer and Benedetto
gave opening remarks. Senators
John Liu, Alessandra Biaggi, and Jen
Metzger along with assemblymembers
Felix Ortiz, John Salka, Al Taylor,
Donna Lupardo, Karines Reyes, Victor
Pichardo, Michael DenDekker, Walter
Mosley, Nader Sayegh, Marianne Buttenschon,
and Kimberly Jean-Pierre
were also in attendance. The packed
event included a panel discussion that
focused on the importance of school
wellness policy featuring:
• Alicia Evans, MAOL, Rochester
City School District parent and
Healthy Schools Project coordinator,
Common Ground Health
• Amany Messieha Dgheim, MD,
Wellness coordinator, New York State
PTA, member of Suffern Central
School District Board of Education
• Clifford Bird, MS, principal,
Abram Lansing Elementary School,
Cohoes City School District
• Kelly Moltzen, MPH, RD, program
manager, Creating Healthy Schools
and Communities Bronx Health
REACH, Institute for Family Health
• Pamela Koch, EdD, RD, executive
director, Laurie M. Tisch Center for
Food, Education and Policy, Research
Associate Professor Program in Nutrition,
Teachers College Columbia University
“As the Trump administration
looks to weaken standards impacting
students’ health, we need to do more
here in New York to advocate for our
students’ well-being. I am excited to
work with the WELL Campaign and
its partners to learn more about school
wellness policy issues and solutions.
Together, we can make a difference
for our students and ensure that our
schools can implement this important
policy,” said Benedetto.
“Communities across New York
State have different needs, but one
thing is clear -- we all want our students
to thrive. They are counting on
us to give them the tools and resources
to succeed in and out of the classroom.
Instituting a state policy on school
wellness, and making sure districts
have support to bring their wellness
policies to life, is an important step in
the right direction,” said Evans.
Koch said, “We are at a crucial
point for our students and it is imperative
that our legislators take action
to improve school wellness policy in
New York. (The) event featured great
conversation and engagement about
what we can do to move our state forward
and advocate for our students.
The WELL Campaign is excited to
keep pushing for comprehensive solutions
to bring school wellness in New
York.”
“In light of the fact that healthier
students are better learners, it is imperative
that New York State place
greater emphasis on implementing
policies and practices that create educational
environments promoting
healthy lifestyles,” said Moltzen. “We
are excited to continue our partnership
with Assemblymember Michael
R. Benedetto and the WELL Campaign
in making the health and well-being of
all New York school students a priority.”
“As a New York parent advocate, I
am excited to see school wellness receive
the attention it deserves. All
children and youth must get the support
they need to live healthy and succeed.
I look forward to continuing to
work with the WELL Campaign and
Assemblymember Benedetto in the
fi ght for ALL students’ well-being,”
said Dgheim.
“Given that schools play such a
critical role in helping kids learn and
practice healthy nutrition and physical
activity habits, and the correlation
between a healthy school environment
and children’s overall health, it
makes sense that New York does all it
can to strengthen and improve school
wellness policies for all districts statewide,”
said Caitlin O’Brien, Government
Relations director for the American
Heart Association. “The AHA
looks forward to seeing stronger nutrition
standards for school meals, and
more frequent, quality physical activity
and physical education.”
Initiated by leaders at the Laurie
M. Tisch Center for Food, Education
& Policy, Teachers College Columbia
University, the WELL Campaign is
urging legislators to create a New York
state model wellness policy that can be
shared with schools; invest $10 million
to support target districts with wellness
policy implementation; and create
an online hub to centralize district
wellness policies and reports.
More information can be found at
(Above) Attendees listen to a speaker at the WELL Camapign meeting. Photo courtesy of WELL Campaign https://www.wellcampaign.org/.
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