If you spend any time at all on the Fuel Up to Play 60 website, you’ve probably already come across their amazing Nutrition Education Resources page. When it comes to helping students fuel up and getting them to play hard, Fuel Up to Play 60 is always a smart place to go when you are looking for ideas to help you implement healthy changes in your school or district.
Naturally, Fuel Up to Play 60 tapped school nutrition professionals—like you—to help engage and empower students to take charge of their health through better food choices and increased activity. Getting students to choose the nutrient-rich foods they need, like low-fat and fat-free dairy, as well as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as encouraging them to get moving for sixty minutes a day are the goals, and the Nutrition Education Resources are designed to help school nutrition professionals work with the rest of the school community, and parents, to achieve these goals.
The easy-to-navigate FUTP60 resource page includes helpful tabs to help you find the information you need more quickly. Search five categories—School Nutrition, Research, Lessons, Games, and At-Home Tools—to reference the types of programs and materials you need to implement healthy changes in your school or district. Take note, several resources in the School Nutrition section include print-friendly PDF files, including the FRAC School Breakfast Scorecard for 2009-10 and Expanding Breakfast: Frequently Asked Questions.
Under Research you will find five studies (three include print-friendly versions) that address school breakfast, to help you get up to speed on the latest research surrounding the benefits of school breakfast for students. If you are looking for instructional materials, make sure to click on the Lessons tab to find supplemental lesson plans for students levels Pre-K through fifth grade; the activities found under the Games tab are designed to reinforce classroom objectives. Finally, under At-Home Tools, you can find quick links to some of the best resources available online, from MyPlate to mix-and-match breakfast ideas to help parents reinforce these healthy choices at home.
These Nutrition Education Resources are just some of the amazing tools available from Fuel Up to Play 60! We also encourage you to review their terrific Physical Activity Resources page, which includes three tabbed sections—At School, At Home, and Research—designed to help you expand or increase the physical activity opportunities at your school. In addition to activities, you will find school-wide program ideas, and other resources to help you build student buy-in to make your program a success.
To help you round out your program’s success, FUTP60 has also built an incredible Planning Tools resource that includes almost everything you’ll need to get organized and start securing stakeholder engagement. Here is a quick overview:
- Planning tools include a glossary, letter templates, planning checklists, and more to help you start out organized and stay that way.
- Engagement tools will help you navigate interested groups and individuals to build support for your program. This section includes teambuilding tips, information on the Ambassador Program, FUTP60 offline resources, and more.
- Promotion tools will help you get students and adults excited about FUTP60, and the impact it can have on your school’s wellness environment. Fliers, templates, and other materials can be used as announcements and recruiting tools.
- Playbook bonus materials are designed for use with Plays, or on their own; they can also be used to generate ideas for other activities. Contests, tip sheets, taste test ideas, and more can be found in the bonus materials section.
- Survey tools are provided to help you collect data up front, so you can learn about the motivations and interests of your target audience. If you ask, they will answer!
And as long as we’re on the subject, don’t forget that the next Fuel Up to Play 60 funds deadline is approaching—you have until Wednesday, June 4, 2014 to apply!