Oct. 1-2 Wellness Conference will help promote health

CSBA and an assortment of partner organizations committed to nurturing healthy kids are hosting the first-ever School Wellness Conference Oct. 1-2 in Anaheim to help schools comply with new state and federal requirements for wellness, nutrition and fitness programs—all aimed at improving student health.

“We’re inviting anyone who is passionate about improving our schools and the lives of California schoolchildren to join us in Anaheim for this inaugural conference,” said Martin Gonzalez, CSBA assistant executive director for Governance and Policy Services. “The 2007 Wellness Conference will lead toward a cultural shift for healthy school environments.”

With financing from The California Endowment, CSBA is offering scholarships to encourage low-income districts to send representatives to the conference. In addition, the state departments of Public Health and Education—which are coordinating conference preparations in cooperation with
 CSBA—are providing $500-per-person stipends so that selected district teams of board members, superintendents, students, school nurses and parents can take full advantage of all the conference has to offer.

Speakers and topics

Conference participants will learn about current state and federal nutrition, exercise and wellness laws; success stories and model programs; sample district policies that promote healthy campuses; and strategies to involve students, parents, school staff and the community in a commitment to better health, including ways to combat childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes among California children.
Speakers will include nationally known wellness and fitness experts with experience inspiring young people to embrace healthy eating and fitness. They include:

• Administrator Pat Cooper, who instituted comprehensive student wellness programs during his tenure as superintendent of the McComb Separate School District in Mississippi, helping to dramatically improve attendance and academic achievement at what was once a low-performing district.
• Coach Jim Ellis, who built a successful swimming program in one of Philadelphia’s most impoverished and predominantly African American neighborhoods in the 1970s
• JoAnne Owens-Nauslar, a passionate promoter of healthy, active living and physical activity
• California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell

The deadline to receive the special conference housing rate at the Anaheim Marriott is Sept. 8. Conference registration fees will increase after Sept. 16.

Stipend and scholarship information

There are scholarship opportunities available to help districts participate in the School Wellness Conference:

• The California Endowment scholarships aimed at low-income districts will be awarded by invitation only; districts that have been offered a scholarship should contact Betsy McNeil at bmcneil@csba.org to confirm details.
• The state’s School Health Connections stipends will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for up to five team members and are limited to one team per district. To apply, district teams must first register for the conference. Once registered, teams should contact Laura Rubin at laura.rubin@sdph.ca.gov by Sept. 17. Include the team’s district name and address, names and designated roles of all team members and contact information for each individual requesting a stipend.
  In addition, the California Nurses Association has information on continuing education credits for CNA members who attend the conference.