Column: Ellen Kehr, Guest Column

SHIP, the Statewide Health Improvement Program, is about creating healthier communities and supporting individuals so they can make healthy choices in their daily lives. Our local communities are the driving force behind SHIP and our strategies take place at the community level.

In Freeborn County SHIP initiatives are focused on four areas: Supporting healthy nutrition in our schools, creating a “culture of wellness” in our worksites, promoting active living in our community design and encouraging health care referral to local resources.

SHIP and our partners are focused on improving the policies, systems and environments in which we live, work, learn and play. Our success lies in developing partnerships, across all sectors, and empowering our local communities to work together to support healthier lifestyles. This past year SHIP and our many partners have made sustainable and long-term investments in Freeborn County and over the next several weeks, I would like to share those stories with you.

Good health is an investment in our future so what better place for us to start our journey to better health than in our schools.

In March of 2010 the first SHIP school project got under way. Our goal was to create and sustain a school garden. This garden would reconnect our children to their agricultural heritage and give them a direct and personal connection to the foods they eat. Partnerships between the school district, the city of Albert Lea and the 4-H Extension made the Halverson Elementary School garden a reality.

Many groups used the garden and with the children it was a huge success. This summer it will double in size and potential. If you have a group of young people who would like to participate in an agricultural field trip call the Freeborn County 4-H Extension at 507-377-5660.

The next school project took place in the fall of 2011. Glenville-Emmons and Albert Lea School Districts made a decision to implement healthy snack carts in all their elementary schools. SHIP funding along with community partner Pioneering Healthier Communities provided funding for the snack carts and two additional refrigerators for cold storage. Food service staff coordinated the snacks; Hy-Vee created a healthy snack brochure for parents and SHIP made a non-food rewards brochure for teachers. Fun posters were purchased for all the cafeterias, and the snack cart program was under way. In the 2010-11 school year more than 60 percent of the elementary school students were enrolled in the healthy snack cart program with apples being the most popular snack. This program will continue next year at all participating schools, thanks to the partnerships that made it all possible.

During the winter months, SHIP conducted teacher and parent surveys at all the elementary schools. These surveys not only gave the schools feedback on the current policies and programs but also provided valuable information for future choices in the area of school nutrition.

On April 5, SHIP sponsored a food-service training titled “Keeping Kids from Falling Short: A New Look at Fruits and Vegetables in the School Cafeteria.”

Twenty-five food-service personnel from Alden-Conger, Glenville-Emmons and Albert Lea school districts participated. It was held at the Albert Lea High School and facilitated by the University of Minnesota Extension. As a result of this training, Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons school districts were awarded SHIP grants to purchase commercial steamers. This will make it possible for them to cook fresh and frozen vegetables and introduce new items to their menus. The steamers will be installed and ready to go for the 2011-12 school year.

In Minnesota, nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of our children are overweight or obese. Our population is becoming less healthy, and our children deserve better than that. Our schools are actively implementing changes to provide a healthier environment for our children.

Freeborn County SHIP has partnered with the schools to help them make some of those changes. Schools need their communities to support their efforts and help them create a healthy future for our children. Parents, organizations and institutions can all stand as healthy role models for future generations. Working together, we can all have the opportunity to make the choices that allow us to live a long, healthy life.

I look forward to sharing with you the next part of SHIP’s journey “Creating Active Communities.” For more information, visit is at www.healthyfreeborncounty.org. Live longer. Live better.

Ellen Kehr is the Freeborn County SHIP coordinator.