Make your reservation now to meet Chef Rick Bayless and his daughter Lanie at our third annual benefit, Cooking up Change, on June 9 at Kendall College. They will be cooking from their new book, Rick and Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures. For tickets call 312-419-1810 or visit us online at www.cookingupchange.org.
	Click here to learn more or to purchase your tickets to Cooking up Change.

In This Newsletter

• HSC UPDATES
• JOBS
• ANNOUNCEMENTS
• IN THE NEWS

HSC UPDATES

School Wellness Bill Sent to the Governor’s Desk

On May 17 the Illinois House passed Senate Bill 162, School Wellness Policies. This Healthy Schools Campaign initiative will require the State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop model wellness policies that are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards and distribute the policies to all school districts in Illinois. Senate sponsor Mattie Hunter and House sponsor William Delgado have been strong proponents of many health-based legislation including school wellness policies. The bill will now go to the Governor’s desk for signing.

Also of note, Senate Bill 88, which would revise the timeline of how schools apply for physical education waivers , passed the house and will be sent to the Governor’s desk for signing. This bill will allow the legislature an additional month to consider whether a school should be able to eliminate P.E. from its curriculum.

For more information contact Mark Bishop at mark@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

Rick Bayless on Modeling Healthy Eating by Cooking with Kids

Read our interview with Rick Bayless in our new quarterly publication, Healthy Schools. Rick Bayless is an internationally celebrated chef, restaurant consultant, cookbook author and television host. He has written extensively on authentic Mexican cuisine, and his two restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, are Chicago culinary landmarks. His most recent book, Rick and Lanie’s Excellent Cooking Adventures was co-written with his 14-year-old daughter Lanie. It details their experiences traveling and cooking together, and is filled with delicious recipes.

You can read the interview with Chef Bayless on our website by clicking here. You can also sign up to receive your free copy of our new publication.

Getting Around

Mark Bishop and Camille Reid gave presentations at the Illinois PTA state conference on April 29 on the importance of healthy school environments and school nutrition. Mark Bishop spoke at the Illinois Education Association state conference on May 3 about school environments and partnering to better support healthy schools.

If you would be interested in having HSC give a presentation to your organization, contact Mike Reeb at mike@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

Illinois Education Association Announces New Statewide IAQ Committee

Betty Wine, one of HSC’s board members, has been appointed to a new statewide Indoor Air Quality Committee by the newly elected president of the Illinois Education Association. Betty began working on IAQ in schools in 2000 when she helped start Naperville District 203’s IAQ Tools for Schools Committee. In 2003 Betty was the National Education Association’s Illinois Delegate to the EPA Tools for Schools Symposium. At that Symposium, Naperville SD 203’s IAQ committee won the Award for Excellence for their efforts in the District's twenty-one schools.

As a member of IEA’s new committee, Betty will bring her five years of practical IAQ problem-solving experience to the IEA Executive Council and will work to find statewide strategies to help reduce the problems of poor indoor air environments in Illinois schools.

Supporting School Wellness

On April 7, HSC held a press conference in Springfield to talk about the importance of school wellness policies, and HSC’s school wellness legislation. The press conference featured State Senator Mattie Hunter and State Representative William Delgado, sponsors of School Wellness Bills SB162 and HB 733. They spoke about the importance of a reducing health disparities in minority communities by supporting healthy school food and physical activity. The press conference was covered by WBEZ radio, the Chicago NPR affiliate.

HSC Advisory Committee Meeting

More than 60 supporters, partners and other interested parties attended HSC’s annual Advisory Committee meeting on Monday, May 9 at the offices of the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. The group enjoyed a healthy Mexican lunch prepared by Greg Christian Catering, and heard presentations about current issues related to school environmental health. Speakers included Illinois State Representative Karen May, who shared her vision for environmental health legislation; Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, who discussed current efforts to improve school funding and how inadequate school funding relates to school health; and Peg Agnos, Executive Director of Legislative Education Network of Dupage, who shared a school administrator’s perspective on the school funding debate. HSC provided an update on the organization’s programs to improve school environmental and nutritional health. For more information about HSC’s advisory committee, contact Mark Bishop at mark@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

Fair Funding for Schools

On May 18th, HSC Chicago Director, Guillermo Gomez travelled to Springfield with more than 40 parents and concerned citizens from West Town Leadership United to advocate for better funding for schools, and for better environments and nutrition in schools. The group visited with more than 80 legislators to discuss the importance of quality education, funding and student health. For more information contact Guillermo at ggomez@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

Welcome New HSC Staff Member

On May 2, Susan Samek started working at HSC as our new administrative director.

Susan has worked in museums and educational nonprofits for over twenty years. She served as a curator at the Chicago Historical Society and as their first Director of Exhibitions. Over the past six years, Susan has managed small nonprofits and historic house museums, including the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle-Peru and the Evanston Historical Society at the Charles Gates Dawes House.

Please welcome Susan to our staff. Susan can be contacted at susan@healthyschoolscampaign.org.

JOBS

Now Hiring

Healthy Schools Campaign Job Posting

The Healthy Schools Campaign is seeking an Environmental Health Program Director. The Environmental Health Program Director will help run the Healthy Schools Campaign’s environmental health program, including our new healthy and energy-efficient school construction program.

Qualifications: A minimum of 5 years of experience in at least one of the following: Environmental advocacy, public health or school facility management. Excellent writing skills are a requirement. Experience with advocacy and public awareness in the nonprofit arena is preferred. A background in public health, children’s issues and/or education is helpful. Technology skills including Microsoft Office experience a plus.

For more information visit http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/about/employment/

Safer Pest Control Project Job Posting

Safer Pest Control Project is seeking a full-time Program Associate. Responsibilities will include:
• Planning, developing, implementing and evaluating programs
• Organizing and conducting workshops and training sessions
• Providing information and technical assistance on Integrated Pest Management, pesticides and alternatives
• Assisting with fundraising, including writing grant proposals and preparing reports as needed
• Establishing a community presence and work with the media on behalf of SPCP
• Attending staff, board, committee and community meetings
• Maintaining program files and database and assisting in management of the office as needed.

For more information visit www.SPCPweb.org

American Cancer Society Job Posting

American Cancer Society is seeking a Regional Director of Health Initiatives. The candidate in this position must cultivate and maintain relationships with large, corporate, community and healthcare systems and institutions throughout region, including hospitals, health plans, social service agencies, integrated delivery systems, worksites and city government entities to promote the adoption and implementation of cancer control policies, practices and programs. For more information contact Dennis Conroy at Dennis.Conroy@cancer.org.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

What's Important Now With Child Nutrition!

ISBE’s Nutrition Programs Division will be conducting a series of workshops in June for business managers, food service directors, administrators and others responsible for the administration of school-based Child Nutrition Programs. What's Important Now (WIN) With Child Nutrition workshops will highlight changes that will impact nutrition programs as a result of the Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004. Sessions will cover such topics as household applications, verification of eligibility, menu planning (including Offer vs. Serve), meal counts and local wellness policies. In addition, staff from the Illinois Department of Public Health will present important information regarding food safety. A special session will be offered to provide assistance to sponsors implementing a new School Breakfast Program.

All workshops (dates and locations listed below) will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. The special how-to session on implementing a School Breakfast Program will be held from 3-4 p.m. Pre-registration is required for these workshops. To pre-register, go online to: http://www.isbe.net/nutrition/htmls/howto_workshop.htm.

For further information on the workshops, contact the Nutrition Programs staff at 800/545-7892 or email us at cnp@isbe.net.

2005 Clean School Bus USA Program Funding

Congress has allocated the Clean School Bus USA program $7.5 million for fiscal year 2005 for a cost-shared grant program to school districts to upgrade their diesel fleets. The EPA will be announcing a solicitation for applications for this grant program in the spring of 2005. The Healthy Schools Campaign will forward an announcement when the application becomes available.

6th Annual IAQ Tools for Schools Symposium

Join US EPA at the 6th Annual IAQ Tools for Schools Symposium, scheduled for January 12-14, 2006 in Washington, DC. Whether you have attended a Symposium previously or are new to the field of indoor air quality, you are welcome to expand collegial networks and gain up-to-date, valuable information on how to address IAQ in schools. For those of you who will be returning this December, we will look forward to hearing about the progress you have made as a result of applying the learning you gained during last year’s Symposium.

For more info, see www.epa.gov/schools

Save the Date – Addressing Chronic Disease through Best Practice Advocacy

2005 Patient Advocacy Leaders Summit – Chicago Region

June 30th, 2005 the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago will hold an advocacy summit for addressing chronic disease. Seating is limited to the first 100 registrants. Log on to www.Lungchicago.org for more information.

Need Computer Recycling?

COM2 Computers & Technology, with a warehouse location in Carol Stream, IL, will do computer electronics recycling pickup for no cost for any school, government or small businesses needing assistance in the Chicagoland area.

Visit http://www.com2computer.com/ for more information.

Calling All IAQ Champions – EPA Wants to Recognize You!

Do you feel you have a stellar IAQ management program in your school? Are you just beginning an IAQ program and want to recognize the initial strides you are taking?

If so, please apply for one of EPA’s prestigious IAQ Tools for Schools awards. EPA is honored to present the 2005 IAQ Tools for Schools Awards Program that will recognize schools and school districts demonstrating a strong commitment to improving children’s health and indoor air quality.

Typical award recipients are those schools and school districts that assume a leadership role, heighten overall public awareness of IAQ issues and encourage public support for programs aimed at improving children’s health in our nation’s schools.

Visit EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools Awards Program Web site for more information and to download an application. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/iaqtfsawards.html

IN THE NEWS

Eight State Legislatures Pass Competitive Foods Legislation
May 1, 2005
School Nutrition Association
As of May 1, eight state legislatures have passed bills in 2005 concerning these issues with an emphasis on competitive foods sold in vending machines. While the bills vary considerably, they all share the basic desire to combat childhood obesity.

Obesity Bill Introduced in US Senate
May 1, 2005
School Nutrition Association
In mid-April Senator Kennedy (D-MA) introduced S.799, “the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Act” that would "make the current epidemic a national public health priority."

Senate OK's Junk Food Ban
Apr. 15, 2005, The Arizona Republic
Starting next year, Arizona's elementary and middle school students could be eating healthier.

School Bus Fumes Worst for Kids on Board
April 8, 2005
Randy Dotinga, Forbes
FRIDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- Toxic gases produced by diesel school buses are far worse for those riding inside than for passers-by, new findings.