Local Wellness Policies in D.C. Schools
Download the D.C. Public Schools Local Wellness Policy
Information on Charter Schools and the Local Wellness Policy
Local Wellness Policies set nutrition guidelines for foods available on campus during the school day, as well as goals for school meal program participation, nutrition education, and physical activity. Use the resources on this page to promote your school’s Local Wellness Policy and ensure that District school children learn how to be healthy and physically active. Experts consider DCPS’ Local Wellness Policy, which has been adopted by many District charter schools as well, to be one of the strongest in the country. All publications on this page are in pdf format, unless otherwise noted.
Outreach Materials
- Promotional Flyer
- Steps Principals Can Take to Implement the Local Wellness Policy
- Parent Fact Sheet
Reports
- D.C. Public Schools Local Wellness Policy - Progress To Date and Moving Forward (April 2009)
This report highlights D.C. Public Schools' (DCPS) major accomplishments in implementing the Local Wellness Policy (LWP) and outlines next steps. - Executive Summary
LWP Background
As part of the 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program were required to adopt LWPs by 2006. This requirement came about due to increasing awareness at the Congressional level that schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity.
In 2006, the DCPS Office of Teaching and Learning, Department of Health and Physical Education led a collaborative partnership with D.C. Action for Healthy Kids and D.C. Hunger Solutions to draft DCPS’ LWP.
Charter Schools and the Local Wellness Policy
Just like D.C. Public Schools, D.C.'s charter schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are required to have a Local Wellness Policy on file. In the District, many charter schools have chosen to adopt the DCPS policy.
The outreach resources on this page were created so both DCPS and charter schools could use them. If you would like to see a copy of your charter school’s Local Wellness Policy, please contact the school directly.
