Healthy Choices

The goal of the Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier, better lives by preventing risk factors that lead to chronic disease. SHIP aims to create sustainable, systemic changes that make it easier for Minnesotans to chose healthy behaviors. Anoka County Community Health and Environmental Services was awarded a SHIP grant to employ evidence-based strategies to make policy, systems, and environmental change in four settings:

• Schools
• Communities
• Worksites
• Health care systems

Within the school setting, Anoka County has chosen to focus on nutrition. This intervention aims to implement comprehensive nutrition policies, including:

• School breakfast promotion
• Healthy lunch & snacks
  (for classroom celebrations and incentives,
  fundraising, concession, and vending)
• School gardens
• Farm-to-School initiatives

Independent School District 15, St. Francis, Minnesota is a participating SHIP school partner. This information was made possible through SHIP funding from the Minnesota Department of Health.