The Healthy Lifestyles program provides family-centered education and tools that connect them with schools and advocate for healthy changes in nutrition and physical activity. In a healthy school:
- All foods, beverages and snacks sold or served meet National School Nutrition Standards.
- All students have opportunities to be physically active on a regular basis.
- All students have access to regular physical education.
- District-wide wellness policies are developed, implemented and evaluated with input from students, parents, staff and interested community members.
What PTAs Can Do
Advocate to:
- Support Healthy School Meals
- Increase physical activity and physical education
- Establish School Wellness Policies
- Model positive health behaviors
Participate in family-oriented programs:
Healthy Lifestyles Month: Learn about National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles Month, ideas for celebrating and best practices for integrating healthy lifestyles into your school.
School Meals Toolkit: Provides resources and solutions to to PTAs and families that want to partner with their school leaders and food service team to support their school meals program and advocate for an environment that promotes healthy behaviors.
Improving Energy Balance Toolkit: Provides local PTAs with tools and resources to use in partnering with schools and engaging families in addressing an everyday healthy lifestyle practice known as energy balance – balancing what we eat with exercise.
Active School Fundraising: Fundraise for your PTA through walks, runs and other fun physical activity challenges. There is no startup fee or selection process. Your PTA keeps 75% of funds raised online, and 100% of onsite funds raised, such as through registrations or giveaways.
Fire Up Your Feet: National PTA initiative encouraging schools, students and families in select states to walk more to and from school—and in daily life—while keeping track of their steps
Learn More
Healthy Schools Program (Alliance for a Healthier Generation): An evidence-based initiative that will helps schools improve physical education, health education, and nutrition.
HealthierUS Schools Challenge (USDA): A voluntary certification initiative recognizing those schools enrolled in Team Nutrition that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.
Fuel Up to Play 60 (National Dairy Council and the NFL): An in-school nutrition and physical activity program to help students make positive changes in their schools.
Thriving Schools (Kaiser Permanente): A targeted, multiyear initiative offering free tools and resources to improve the health of students, staff and teachers in K–12 schools.
Parent Leadership Series (Action for Healthy Kids): Teaches parents how to work collaboratively within their school communities to improve policy and practices related to school nutrition and physical activity.
Together Counts (Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation): A nationwide program inspiring active and healthy living.
Parents for Healthy Schools (CDC): A a set of resources to help schools, PTAs and school wellness committees engage parents to create healthy school environments.