West Hartford Wins Award in U.S. Healthier School Challenge

The will receive both monetary and symbolic rewards for achieving the Bronze Award level in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthier U.S. School Challenge.

The state Department of Education announced Thursday that 40 schools in Connecticut — including all 16 in West Hartford — will receive silver and bronze awards in the certification program. The program is a voluntary initiative for schools that participate in the national school lunch program, and it stems from First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to promote better nutrition and more physical activity for children.

"The [Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge] encourages schools to strengthen their focus on nutrition, healthy eating and physical activity during the school day," Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor said in a news release. "It spotlights and recognizes those schools that emphasize wellness."

The USDA will award $500 to each school that received the Bronze Award. To meet the bronze status, a school must be enrolled as a Team Nutrition School, offer reimbursable lunches that demonstrate the principles of Dietery Guidelines for Americans and meet USDA nutrition standards, provide nutrition education to students, provide students opportunities to engage in physical activity, adhere to guidelines established by the Food and Nutrition Services program for all foods served or sold in schools, and implement a local wellness policy.