Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

#WellnessWins Empowers School Districts, Community Members to Support Strong Wellness Policies

  • 06/01/17

In July 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a final rule to strengthen guidelines for school wellness policies with a compliance deadline of June 30, 2017. Nationwide, many districts are already making significant progress to update and strengthen their policies, enabling them to implement healthier nutrition, physical activity, and health and physical education practices. School wellness policies are the cornerstone of school-related health initiatives, providing both a guide and an evaluation tool for schools to benchmark their wellness progress.

To highlight these existing school wellness “wins” and to inspire other districts to take action, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids initiative have launched a new digital campaign, #WellnessWins.

School leaders, community members and parents can visit WellnessWins.org to download resources, read success stories, and learn how they can support and advance school wellness policies.

Campaign Details:

WHAT: The #WellnessWins campaign celebrates district wellness success and inspires everyone to create healthier school environments, grounded in strong wellness policies.

WHERE: Campaign resources, including success stories, social media messages, and resources to support districts and community members in strengthening wellness policies, are available at WellnessWins.org

WHY: #WellnessWins aims to support school districts in implementing stronger wellness policies that meet the new U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines by June 30.

WHO: #WellnessWins is co-presented by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids initiative.

The campaign is supported by over 20 organizations who will help to shine a spotlight on wellness wins across the country. Supporters include: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Action for Healthy Kids, Active Living Research,  Afterschool Alliance, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network, American School Health Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest, ChildObesity 180, Food, Nutrition and Policy Consultants, FoodCorps, Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing, Healthy Eating Research, Initiative for Healthy Schools, Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools, Mission: Readiness, MomsRising, NAACP, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Farm to School Network, Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Evaluation Network, Physical Activity Policy Research Network, Nutrition Policy Institute, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, School Meals That Rock, SHAPE America, Society for Nutrition, Education and Behavior, SPARK, and UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

#WellnessWins was also supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 1 NU1ADP003091-01, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.