The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program is a national initiative founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation. The alliance’s aim is to help schools improve physical education, health education and nutrition by providing a school health index in which staff can self-access their school’s policies and programs for promoting health and safety.

According to the program’s website, the guide is then used to develop an action plan on improving those policies and programs and is currently used at nearly 29,000 schools around the country — 788 in North Carolina. Resources offered by the alliance include national experts and online and printable guides to help take steps to develop healthier environments for kids to learn and grow — including creative ways to get them to eat their fruits and vegetables.

To earn a national award at the bronze, silver or gold levels, schools must meet best practice criteria established by the program’s expert panel in all of the program’s six modules: school safety; health education; physical education; nutrition services; health promotion for staff; and family and community involvement.

In New Hanover County, 11 schools currently participate in the program, and three schools were recognized at the most recent county Board of Education regular meeting for achieving national level status.

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