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• Culinary Institute of America Healthy Flavors Healthy Kids – National Steering Committee Member
• Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition – National Advisory Board
• National Foodservice Management Institute – National Advisory Council
• National Farm to School Network – Sponsor
• International Food Information Council – Sponsor and Board Member
• USDA MyPlate Strategic Partnership – First Foodservice Company Partner
• Healthy Schools Campaign – Sponsor and Partner
• United Fresh Produce – Member and Partner on Moving Salad Bars to Schools
• Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Project advisor

Healthier US School Challenge
In February 2010, the White House launched Let’s Move!, a nationwide campaign to end childhood obesity within the next generation. As part of this campaign, schools across the country are encouraged to participate in the HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC), a program developed by the USDA to recognize school communities that promote good nutrition, nutrition education, and physical activity.

Chartwells not only supports this initiative – we made a commitment at the White House Let’s Move! launch to quadruple the number of Chartwells school districts who meet the HUSSC food and nutrition guidelines. We’ve gone above and beyond this commitment already with many of our schools meeting the HUSSC criteria and and receiving Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards for their level of dining service offerings.

We will to continue to support our schools as new guidelines are released for the Challenge to coincide with the new meal standards.

School Grants & Contests
Chartwells works with school districts to obtain grants that bring nutrition and fitness programs to our schools. Our team of dietitians and chefs also assist students with contest opportunities that can bring additional recognition and funding to the district. Here are just a few examples of the types of grants and contests our school districts have won:

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: We have worked with school district leadership and local community agencies in many of our districts to secure funding from USDA for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, a national initiative aimed at exposing students to free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks throughout the school year. In one district, a vegetable cart is available for students free of charge once a week and fresh produce is also available in vending machines.
• Cooking Up Change Contest: In this national cooking contest established by the Healthy Schools Campaign in 2007, students show the world just how delicious and healthy a school lunch can be. The contest challenges students to create a great-tasting lunch that meets nutrition standards on a tight budget, using only ingredients commonly available for school food service. Students must create recipes that include no more than six steps so that they can easily be replicated on a large scale in real school kitchens. In 2011, five teams of students from Chartwells school districts competed - one even won the grand prize! This competition gives students the opportunity to learn about food and nutrition in a fun and interesting way, and also provides Chartwells with unique recipes developed by creative students who love working with food.
• Fuel Up to Play: We collaborated with school administrators and students to obtain a Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant from the Dairy Council to encourage exercise and healthy eating. Program highlights include a one-minute student read nutrition message during morning announcements, morning exercises, monthly cafeteria nutrition promotions, taste-testing events, and building a fitness trail on school grounds.
• Recipes for Healthy Kids Contest: In two of our districts, resident chefs and dietitians joined school teams to develop recipes for entry into the White House contest for healthy school meal recipe creation. One team’s recipe even made it into the “Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook” being published nationwide.
• Whole Grains Challenge: An initiative of Boston-based educational non-profit Oldways and its Whole Grains Council (WGC), this Challenge encourages all dining and foodservice outlets to come up with original, creative, and compelling ways to promote whole grain awareness and enjoyment. One of our districts won grand prize by offering at least one whole grain choice daily, promoting the offerings in unique ways. Intermediate school students enjoyed whole grain samples and voted on their favorites. On field day, students took part in a special whole grains obstacle course.
• Golden Carrot Award: Chartwells’ districts have been recognized by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) annual Golden Carrot Award for doing an exceptional job of improving the healthfulness of school lunches. PCRM looks for programs that encourage kids to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and that offer plenty of vegetarian, low-fat, whole grain, and nondairy options.

Dietetic Internship
Chartwells and our sister company in healthcare, Morrison Management Specialists, have established a nationwide distance-learning dietetic internship which prepares interns to become registered dietitians in schools after securing a Bachelor's Degree in Food and Nutrition. Interns have the opportunity to participate in nutrition education, food allergy management, menu and recipe development, as well as traditional foodservice management functions. While our interns benefit by working directly in school nutrition settings to gain management and on-the-job experience, districts benefit as well; the internship allows more districts to experience working with nutrition professionals.