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Release No. 0588.10

Contact:
Alan Shannon (312) 860-3531

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USDA Official Participates in Chicago Healthier Schools Event to Promote Healthy School Meals

CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2010 – Audrey Rowe, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Deputy Administrator for Special Nutrition Programs, joined Chicago Public School students, celebrity chefs, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky and others for a special event Cooking up Change , a culinary contest to promote healthy options in school meals. Joining Deputy Administrator Rowe and serving as a judge at the event was Mrs. Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Cooking up Change featured 15 teams of Chicago public high school students who competed to make tasty, nutritious lunches that can be replicated in large school districts. The winning team will have its meal served throughout Chicago Public Schools, take a trip to Washington, D.C., and receive scholarships and professional cookware. Top Chicago chefs served as team mentors and judges. Nearly 600 attendees packed a former warehouse to watch teams of school students cook and prepare their meals.

The event complements the First Lady's Let's Move! initiatives, including HealthierUS Schools Challenge (HUSSC), and Chefs Move to Schools, a collaboration that links chefs with nearby schools, and most recently with the Recipes for Healthy Kids competition, launched in early September.

"The HealthierUS School Challenge achievement demonstrates the deep commitment to create and maintain a healthy school environment by promoting good nutrition and physical activity," Rowe said. "This event helps highlight the importance of both the HealthierUS School Challenge and getting children and communities involved."

The HUSSC is a key component of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign to end childhood obesity within a generation. Schools participating in the HUSSC voluntarily adopt USDA standards for food they serve at their schools, agree to provide nutrition education, and provide opportunities for physical activity.

In February, the First Lady and USDA challenged stakeholders to double the number of HUSSC schools within in a year, and add 1,000 schools per year for two years after that. Schools participating in the Challenge are recognized with Gold of Distinction, Gold, Silver, or Bronze-level certification. As of October, 901 HUSSC awards have been given to schools in 38 States and the District of Columbia. HUSSC certification also includes monetary incentives for schools -$2,000 for Gold Award of Distinction, $1,500 for Gold, $1,000 for Silver and $500 for Bronze.

During her visit to the event, Mrs. Rowe highlighted the opportunities for improving the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs through the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

"America's school-aged children depend on USDA school nutrition assistance and these programs deserve our full support," Rowe said. "By reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, we can make important changes to our school meal programs now and in the years ahead that will provide long term benefits for our kids and their ability to succeed in school and beyond."

First Lady Michelle Obama actively supports the HUSSC with innovative Let's Move! initiatives, including Chefs Move to Schools, a collaboration that links chefs with nearby schools, and most recently with the Recipes for Healthy Kids competition, launched in early September. This competition brings together chefs, school nutrition professionals, students and parents who work in teams to develop nutritious, delicious, kid-approved recipes for use in schools. Recipes must be submitted by Dec. 30. Winners will have a chance to compete in a national cook-off and $12,000 in prizes. For more information, please visit www.recipesforkidschallenge.com.

Improving USDA's child nutrition programs on behalf of 32 million kids across the nation is a top priority of the Obama Administration. Strengthening the Child Nutrition Act, which authorizes USDA's child nutrition programs including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, is the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. This legislation will serve as a down payment in battling hunger and food insecurity while providing critical resources to raise a generation of healthy children. To learn more about the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign, visit www.LetsMove.gov.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for information about FNS and nutrition assistance programs.

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Last modified: 11/27/2012