Rocky View Schools Healthy Eating Initiative

1. Rocky View Schools Healthy Eating Initiative Making a Difference in Schools January 27-28, 2012 Shaping the Futures Conference Theresa McIsaac & Theresa Riege

2. Overview • Establishing Context: Your Experience with Policy Implementation • Healthy Eating Environments in Schools Model • Process for Development and Implementation in Rocky View Schools (RVS) • School Level Implementation Plan • Evaluation Results • School Environment • Student Behaviour • Going Forward: Enhancing Your Work • Questions

3. Establishing the Context: Your Experiences 1. What is your setting doing around health policy (healthy eating, active living, mental wellbeing)? 2. What partnerships or engagement processes are used in this work? 3. What are the challenges your setting faces when developing and implementing health policy? 4. Have you used a framework or model in policy development and implementation? Which one and how has it been used? If you are not using a framework, what other processes do you use?

4. The RVS Healthy Eating Initiative • 3 Year Initiative (April 2006 to March 2009) + 1 Transition Year (April 2009 – June 2010) • Initiative Goal to support student success by: • Promoting a healthy eating environment through an integrated infrastructure of people and resources • Key champions from the Rocky View Schools - Director of Collaborative Services; Community Partner Programs Coordinator • Key champions from Alberta Health Services – Dietitian; Health Promotion Coordinator

5. The RVS Healthy Eating Initiative • The initiative achieved the following objectives: • Identification of social and physical supports needed to promote and support healthy eating in schools • Development of a systems model that can be applied to other health issues and used by other school divisions. • Adoption and implementation of the RVS Healthy Eating Guidelines • Evaluation of the change in the school environment and students’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour

7. Healthy Eating Environments in Schools Systems Model Consult across the division Form a division-wide Advisory Committee Overall Direction and Support Gain support & approval from division senior management Develop or adapt guidelines & an implementation plan

8. Consultations with schools within the division (March 2007) Administrators, teachers, PHNs, foodservice staff, 1 student Purpose – to inform, engage and learn, ascertain interest in a Division-wide Advisory Committee Outcomes – different priorities at different school levels Elementary – programs, student and parent education, events and available healthy food Middle – respect and equity; healthy environments; morning snack breaks; sense of urgency to “permit” schools to focus on healthy eating initiatives High – school environment, school culture, accessible healthy food choices, dining, vending, role of families RVS Health Promoting Schools Advisory Committee Systems Model Components Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines Consult across the division Division Advisory Committee Support from Division Senior Administration Cross-department support and collaboration RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

9. Formation of the RVS Health Promoting Schools Advisory Committee (May 2007): Healthy Eating Guidelines RVS School Level Implementation Plan RVS HEG Poster and Pamphlet The voice of HPS in RVS Purchasing Manager – RFP dining services, beverage and snack vending Staff Wellness Initiative – awareness and links Corporate Funding Opportunity Systems Model Components Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines Consult across the division Division Advisory Committee Support from Division Senior Administration Cross-department support and collaboration RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

10. Development and ratification of the RVS Healthy Eating Guidelines (June 2008) Ratified by the Senior Executive and Board of Trustees ANGCY released within same timeframe ANGCY supports well used by RVS in implementing their guidelines RVS 3-year Strategic plan - Goal #1” - Enhance student learning outcomes by addressing non-academic barriers to learning, (2008), integrated into curriculum and school based supports. Nutrition identified as a non-academic barrier School 1 year education plans now address nutrition Systems Model Components Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines Consult across the division Division Advisory Committee Support from Division Senior Administration Cross-department support and collaboration RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

11. School Assessment and Student Surveys (Sept 2007 to Dec 2008; May to June 2010) Baseline school assessment and student surveys completed between Fall 2007 and Fall 2008 Post-implementation assessment and surveys completed Spring 2010 22 of 31 schools participated in the baseline and post-implementation assessments Student Surveys – Grades 7-12 Reports – individual school, school-level composite and division composite Systems Model Components Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines Consult across the division Division Advisory Committee Support from Division Senior Administration Cross-department support and collaboration RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

12. Form a School Health Action Committee and identify key champions Complete an assessment of your school’s eating environment Building Capacity for Health Define your School Health Action Team’s Vision Monitor and evaluate changes Choose a priority issue and consult with your school community Develop and implement an action plan School Level Implementation Plan

13. School-Level Implementation Develop and implement action plans Assess School Food Environment Define school health vision Key Champions & School Action Committee Identify priority issue and consult with school community Monitor, evaluate, and celebrate successes RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Different Implementation Strategies • Improved variety and visibility of healthy choices in cafeterias • Replaced regular pop with diet pop or limited choices in beverage vending machine to 100% juice and water. • Decreased chips and candy in snack vending machines • Started a milk program • Offered healthier side dishes with hot meal entrées • Fewer food rewards in the classroom • Breakfast programs

14. Evaluation Results: School Eating Environment

15. Evaluation Results: School Eating Environment

16. Evaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Dietary Intake

17. Evaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Attitudes Toward Healthy Eating

18. Evaluation Results: Student Suggestions to Improve Healthy Eating and Active Living Practices at School • Add healthy food options to food services • Reduce the number of less healthy food options offered • Provide more physical activity opportunities • Promote healthy eating and active living • Lower the price on healthy options; raise the price of less healthy foods • The school is already doing a good job • It is up to students to make healthy choices

19. Focus interview findings • Systems approach started the conversations around creating healthy eating environments; key champions at school and Division levels critical; Ongoing Collaboration of Health and Education essential. • HPS Advisory Committee was forum for engagement; consistent messaging supportive of implementing change at the local level. • Assessment and reports data spoke for themselves; The initiative created accountability; Create additional accountability beyond 1-year education plans. • Division-wide with vendor was more coordinated; Strong enough policy needed to ensure vendors are willing to be engaged and supportive of change. • Need to address finite resources – human and revenue streams. • Ongoing communication, opportunities to share successes and challenges, resource identification and access, support from Health in key areas – granting writing, implementation, resources.

20. Learnings Ongoing collaboration between Health and Education School division key champion, support for both operations and strategy. Relationship building – stakeholder engagement Alignment of timelines in two organizations Integration of curriculum with broad-based comprehensive school health approaches –embed work, do not “add-on” Communication plan – all levels, within divisions, within schools – timely and effective Pre-service and in-service for all teachers – multiple modes of learning Meaningful and supported evaluation of programs and outcomes

21. Going Forward: Enhancing Your Work • How could you apply this model to enhance the work you are doing? • Do you have any experience with this model or a similar model? What was the experience like? • What are the implications of this model for your work? • What supports may be required for your work? • Who are your key stakeholders, partners? How can you engage your stakeholders? • What facilitators or successes can you anticipate? • What barriers or challenges can you anticipate? • What might it take for your activities to be sustainable and embedded in your setting culture and ethos?

22. Large Group Discussion and Final Questions Thank You!

23. Contact Information Theresa McIsaac Healthy Promotion Coordinator Phone: (403) 943-6778 Email: theresa.mcisaac@albertahealthservices.ca Theresa Riege, RD Dietitian, Nutrition Services, Population and Public Health Phone: (403)943-6772 Email: theresa.riege@albertahealthservices.ca