School Wellness: It's Everyone's Business! -Panel Presents Ways for Community to Implement New School Wellness Policies-

Online, April 12, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Adelphi University is pleased to host the Nassau County School Wellness Coalition in a panel discussion regarding recent updates to the federally-mandated wellness policies created by the WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which is reviewed every five years. Panelists will include Gail Volk of Western Suffolk BOCES/Healthy Schools NY, and representatives from the Coalition and Nassau County school districts. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the Ruth S. Harley University Center, 2nd Floor and is free and open to the public.

Panelists will explain these new wellness policies and their impact on local schools, as well as advocacy steps that community members can take to assist their school district with review and implementation of the policies. A question and answer session with the audience will follow the panel discussion.

School wellness programs are crucial for healthy children, especially now when rates of obesity and diet-associated chronic conditions are rising. The Coalition believes that community members play an essential role in strengthening school and community wellness through advocacy, collaboration, and support.

The Coalition comprises of Adelphi University, the Nassau County Department of Health, Nassau BOCES, North Short LIJ, Healthy Schools NY, Stonybrook University, Nassau County PTA, local pediatricians, dentists, and others. The Coalition works to provide resources and support for school districts' efforts to generate and execute improved nutrition and physical activity policies and programs.

Online registration is available prior to the event and on-site registration will be available at the time of the event. This is the third event Adelphi has sponsored in conjunction with the Coalition.

The Nassau County School Wellness Coalition was formed to support school districts in reevaluating or forming local wellness policies mandated by the WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. School districts who participate in the Coalition receive assistance in accessing resources, identifying grant money for program implementation, performing school assessments and formal recognition. The Coalition's goal is to establish strategies to help schools succeed in creating a sustainable, healthy environment for the children of Nassau County.

For more information, contact Associate Professor Jean L. Harris at (516) 877-4273 or [email protected]. Learn more about this event at http://education.adelphi.edu/ncswc/index.php.