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Our mission is to build the capacity of school communities to develop, enhance and sustain supportive learning environments and reduce barriers to learning that impact on academic achievement and citizenship.

Creating Healthy Schools and Communities

The SSS Center is a grant recipient of the New York State Department of Health’s 2021-2026 Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) Initiative.  CHSC establishes and supports sustainable healthy communities as places where it is easier to practice healthy behaviors. As a CHSC grantee, the Center works with schools and communities, engages a variety of partners and decision-makers, and develops and executes a comprehensive implementation plan in local catchment areas including cities, towns, reservations, and neighborhoods.

CHSC grant goals include:

• Implementing components of Local School Wellness Policies for Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs and a Healthy Nutrition Environment as found in the CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.
   

• Enhancing policies, practices, and environments for physical activity and nutrition in early care and education (ECE) settings.
   

• Implementing community planning and active transportation (Connecting Activity-Friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations) interventions in municipalities to increase safe and accessible physical activity. This is accomplished through collaboration with stakeholders and partners to connect sidewalks, paths, bicycle routes, and public transit with homes, early care and education sites, schools, worksites, parks, or recreation centers by implementing master plans and land use interventions or Complete Streets policies or plans.
   

• Implementing food service guidelines (FSGs) with worksites (e.g., hospitals, universities/colleges, private workplaces, and state, local, and tribal government facilities), and community settings (e.g., parks, stadiums, buildings/areas where community organizations meet), in multiple venues (e.g., cafeterias, cafés, grills, snack bars, concession stands, vending machines) to increase the availability of healthy foods. FSGs are specific food and nutrition standards and sustainability standards for food service operations that can be used to create a food environment that makes healthier choices easier for consumers.

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