Resources
Physical Activity
Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first, but the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are more flexible than ever, giving you the freedom to reach your physical activity goals through different types and amounts of activities each week.
Healthy kids have higher attendance rates, higher test scores and behave better in class. The latest research on childhood health that has been combined with the most effective school policies to maximize impact and help make your school healthier.
The American College of Sports Medicine advances and integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.
The CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health has released a new online version of the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI). The SHI allows schools to assess their policies and programs in relation to physical activity and physical education, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, and unintentional injury & violence prevention.
An evidence-based curriculum for after-school and community recreation settings that includes lessons and activities to motivate heart-healthy behavior in children in grades K-5.
Focuses on encouraging primary care physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity when designing treatment plans for patients. Includes a section specifically for communities.
Practical tips to help parents help their family find the right balance between eating well and being physically active to maintain a healthy weight.
In-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and National Football League with additional support from U.S. Department of Agriculture. Focuses on empowering kids to make smart choices about their nutrition and physical activity.
Developed through a partnership with the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, Implementing Physical Activity Strategies profiles 42 physical activity programs that are helping people adopt more active and healthy lifestyles.
The JAM (Just-a-Minute) School Program is a free physical activity and health education resource that promotes activity in the classroom. JAM is designed to teach kids (adults too!) healthier lifestyle habits and get them moving. JAM resources offer a weekly one-minute exercise routine called JAMmin’ Minute®, a more extensive routine called JAM Blast®, and a monthly health newsletter called Health-E-tips.
A comprehensive program to help parents and schools create active environments for students to reach their greatest potential. Tools and resources, activation grants and direct assistance and training is available to schools.
A nationwide movement launched by the National Complete Streets Coalition in 2004, Complete Streets integrates people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our transportation networks. The Coalition promotes the development and implementation of policies and professional practices that ensure streets are safe for people of all ages and abilities, balance the needs of different modes, and support local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments.
The National Physical Activity Plan has a vision: One day, all Americans will be physically active and they will live, work, and play in environments that facilitate regular physical activity.
The Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population.
A site for health & physical education teachers, parents and students with the goal to provide the latest information about developmentally appropriate physical education programs for children.
Coordinates and promotes opportunities in physical activity, fitness, and sports for all Americans.
Collaborative partnership between the South Dakota Departments of Education and Health. Through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they develop partnerships and coordinate programming to improve the health and educational outcomes of young people.
Safe Routes to School is a national program that aims to encourage walking/biking to school and to make it safer and more appealing.
Fun-filled activities to help incorporate physical activity into everyday moments for children ages 2 to 5 in the preschool setting.
Evidence-based programs designed to promote physical activity in youth from K-12, and ages 5-14, respectively. They include curricula, training, equipment, and follow-up support components
Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight.
Healthy Eating
Published every 5 years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each edition of the Dietary Guidelines reflects the current body of nutrition science. These recommendations help Americans make healthy food and beverage choices and serve as the foundation for vital nutrition policies and programs across the United States.
Coalition of many national organizations trying to improve the school nutrition environment. The group also includes a South Dakota state team.
Healthy kids have higher attendance rates, higher test scores and behave better in class. The latest research on childhood health that has been combined with the most effective school policies to maximize impact and help make your school healthier.
The CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health has released a new online version of the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI). The SHI allows schools to assess their policies and programs in relation to physical activity and physical education, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, and unintentional injury & violence prevention.
An evidence-based curriculum for after-school and community recreation settings that includes lessons and activities to motivate heart-healthy behavior in children in grades K-5.
Information on health topics in the area of nutrition.
ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information.
The Ten Tips Nutrition Education Series provides consumers and professionals with high quality, easy-to-follow tips in a convenient, printable format.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests rewarding students in the classroom need not involve pizza parties, candy and other foods that undermine children's diets and health and reinforce unhealthy eating habits. This site provides some suggestions for alternative rewards.
Practical tips to help parents help their family find the right balance between eating well and being physically active to maintain a healthy weight.
The Fresh for Kids program aims to help school aged children achieve a healthy lifestyle by encouraging them to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and by participating in physical activity.
In-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and National Football League with additional support from U.S. Department of Agriculture. Focuses on empowering kids to make smart choices about their nutrition and physical activity.
Research-based materials for health professionals and free educational materials.
The Munch Code is a color coded labeling program reminding us that snacks in the GREEN category are the healthiest and we can "Eat a bunch!". YELLOW foods may have added sugar, fat or calories and we should be careful to have "Just a little!". Foods falling into the RED category are on the "Not so much!" list and should be avoided. Snack healthier, eat healthier!
Resource for fun nutrition games for kids, interactive nutrition tools, and tips for parents and health educators to use to promote healthy living for the whole family.
An educational initiative designed to open a meaningful conversation about food in school and communities.
Nutrition education resources for schools.
Collaborative partnership between the South Dakota Departments of Education and Health. Through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they develop partnerships and coordinate programming to improve the health and educational outcomes of young people.
Simply enter the product information, answer a few questions, and determine whether your beverage, snack, side or entrée item meets the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines.
Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.
Find nutrient information on over 8,000 foods using this new and improved search feature.
USDA’s Team Nutrition is a free program that offers nutrition educational materials for schools that use any of the Child Nutrition Programs (school lunch or breakfast, after school meals, summer feeding program, and CACFP). Some resources are available to order in hard copy and others are a free download. Use the Resource Library to choose from curriculum on nutrition or gardening, posters from elementary to middle school, training for food service staff, e-newsletters and much more.
Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight.
Health & Wellness
Programs for classrooms and gyms
The CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health has released a new online version of the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI). The SHI allows schools to assess their policies and programs in relation to physical activity and physical education, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, and unintentional injury & violence prevention.
An evidence-based curriculum for after-school and community recreation settings that includes lessons and activities to motivate heart-healthy behavior in children in grades K-5.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests rewarding students in the classroom need not involve pizza parties, candy and other foods that undermine children's diets and health and reinforce unhealthy eating habits. This site provides some suggestions for alternative rewards.
This fact sheet provides general information on the break time requirement for nursing mothers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which took effect when signed into law on March 23, 2010. This law amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Are you looking for FREE, standardized lesson plans, games and activities for a variety of subject areas and for grade levels kindergarten through 12th grade? Do you want to ensure a rewarding and guaranteed career for your students? South Dakota’s health care industry is projected to need nearly 13,000 jobs by 2014 – an increase of nearly 30% from 2004 to 2014. The South Dakota Departments of Education, Health, Labor and the Board of Regents have been working collaboratively to address the critical need for healthcare workers in the state. Health Occupations for Today and Tomorrow (HOTT) was created to increase students’ awareness of the wide variety of health careers available to them. Find valuable information as well as a wide variety of prepared, standardized lesson plans and activities. Check out this example of one on nutrition and physical activity.
KidsHealth and Nemours share Sesame Workshop's commitment to helping young children establish healthy habits. The kit helps incorporate healthy physical activity and nutrition habits into the everyday routine. The familiar Sesame Street characters will help you achieve your goals by keeping your students' interest and attention as they learn!
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed a ready-to-go communication toolkit designed to engage school staff and parents in school wellness. The toolkit includes flyers, presentations, newsletter articles and social media posts for sharing news about a local school wellness policy. The materials can be personalized to make them specific to local school wellness policy activities.
Each local educational agency that participates in the National School Lunch Program or other federal Child Nutrition programs is required by federal law to establish a local school wellness policy for all schools under its jurisdiction.
An interactive after-school program designed to teach young people ages 11 to 13 about the complex media world around them and how it can affect their health
The Centers for Disease Control has worked with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, and the National School Boards Association to develop comprehensive guidance and resources for food allergy and anaphylaxis management in the school setting.
Provides a variety of resources for school administration related to policy development.
Helps school policymakers and educators make informed decisions about health issues affecting the academic achievement and healthy development of students and the effective operation of schools.
Collaborative partnership between the South Dakota Departments of Education and Health. Through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they develop partnerships and coordinate programming to improve the health and educational outcomes of young people.
The South Dakota Department of Health and the Department of Education ask schools to submit student height and weight data for kindergarten, elementary and high school students. The voluntary program to track childhood obesity in South Dakota has been underway since 1998. Data reports from previous years surveillance along with information about submitting data for the current school year.
Site offers variety of information for childcare.
Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight.