Supporting healthy eating habits from the classroom to the cafeteria.
Eat Right Philly
Eat Right Philly (ERP), formerly EAT.RIGHT.NOW. is a large scale, multi-component outreach program that provides free nutrition education and services to eligible students, families and staff in the District schools. ERP is funded by the Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Human Services through PA Nutrition Education Tracks (PA TRACKS), a part of USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Because healthy schools are crucial to the success of ERP and the goals of PA TRACKS, in the 2015/2016 school year the ERP program office and the District’s Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) launched the Supporting Healthy School Environments study. The purpose of this initiative is to assess the current state of health practices and policy implementation within selected District schools and to expand programming at multiple levels to support students, families and staff in maintaining healthy school environments.
Harvest of the Month
In order to promote and expand the Farm to School program within the District, a Harvest of the Month program was established in 2016. This program features a different locally available fruit or vegetable each month of the school year. Schools that participate in the Farm to School program are offered tool kits developed for the Harvest of the Month program. The material created is intended to empower food service managers and staff to feel comfortable with serving and promoting the Harvest of the Month food and the Farm to School program. Each month, the selected item is featured on the menu and available throughout the month from the District’s produce supplier. Information about the local farmer is also provided to cafeteria managers and displayed with the local item. Current Harvest of the Month information is available on the District’s Division of Food Services website.
