School Meals
During this year with Building Healthy Communities, schools will follow a three-step process:
Increasing the food quality, school meal participation and efficient delivery of school meals is critical to supporting children’s health and academic success. During this school year, your school district will be working toward identifying potential areas for enhancement and strategies to improve operations. No school or district is exactly alike which is why this component will look different for each school determined by their specific identified needs.
Step One
begins with a coordinated meeting between the District Food Service Director, UDIM youth wellness manager, and the BHC coordinator. This initial meeting is a time for the District Food Service Manager to share any needs or concerns their meal operations are encountering as well as their vision for incorporating any new ideas.
Step Two
in the process is for the District Food Service Director and UDIM manager to set up a time for an outside consultant (provided by UDIM) to come into each of the individual elementary schools within the district. By bringing in an expert that works within food systems we are better able to assess and evaluate school needs. The consultant will leave your district with a thorough assessment of your food service process and suggestions as to how they could develop and become more efficient. It’s important to understand that your school is not required to make any, and all changes suggested. The assessment done by the consultant provides information as to where your school COULD benefit from additional enhancements.
Step Three
in the process is getting your school the necessary resources to support changes. Your school UDIM youth wellness manager will be working with your school to procure the resources to support the new operations or enhance existing ones. For insight into United Dairy Industry of Michigan’s support for schools, visit their website at https://www.milkmeansmore.org/schools-educators/.
MICHIGAN SCHOOL MEALS
SMARTER LUNCHROOM SCORECARD
MOO-LAH FOR SCHOOLS
FUEL UP TO PLAY 60
The Building Healthy Communities Program is undergoing an exciting transition within our broader school health initiative. We will not be accepting new applications for the elementary school program at this time; instead, we are expanding our impact through Building Healthy Communities: Step Up for School Wellness, a comprehensive K–12 program designed to support school-wide wellness initiatives across all grade levels.
The Building Healthy Communities: Step Up For School Wellness program builds on the success of our elementary model while offering:
- Expanded grade-level inclusion (K–12)
- Many additional healthy resources available for schools to select
- Greater opportunities for school-wide engagement and impact
While we are no longer accepting new applications for the Elementary School Program, we are proud of the many schools and communities that have participated and will continue to support our alumni schools through ongoing access to program resources and materials on this site.
This transition reflects our continued commitment to supporting healthier school communities through innovative, scalable, and inclusive programming. We are grateful for the impact of the Elementary School Program and excited for what lies ahead with Step Up for School Wellness.
For New Schools:
If your school is interested in launching or strengthening a wellness initiative, we encourage you to apply for Step Up for School Wellness resources. This program is now the primary pathway for schools looking to join the Building Healthy Communities network.
For BHC Alumni Schools:
We remain committed to our alumni schools and invite you to continue utilizing the resources available on this website to sustain the healthy school environment you built during your year of BHC programing.
BHC alumni schools are also eligible to apply for additional support! Consider applying for Step Up for School Wellness resources related to mental health and social-emotional learning to expand or deepen your school wellness efforts.
Click on the image above to view the full program description.
