With the Community: Youth and School Programs

Alameda County Nutrition Services (ACNS) partners with schools, local recreation and community centers, and community-based organizations to expand youth experiences in nutrition, cooking, gardening, physical activity (see active transportation) and healthy messaging.  

Alameda County Nutrition Services (ACNS) partners with Oakland Unified School District and San Lorenzo Unified School District to enhance student opportunities to learn about health.

Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Well Programs

ACNS has collaborated with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) since 2007. OUSD’s Harvest of the Month Program (HOTM) provides local and seasonal produce served as part of school meals, grown in gardens, and tasted in cafeterias, classrooms, afterschool programs, gardens and more! Hands-on garden learning takes place at school-based gardens and for some grades, an exciting field trip to the new OUSD’s Central Kitchen, Education Center and Instructional Garden and Farm (The Center).

Learn more about OUSD Wellness Programs:

• Harvest of the Month
• Highlights from Oakland Unified Schools
• OUSD Garden Field Trips

San Lorenzo Unified School District’s (SZUSD) Wellness Program

San Lorenzo Unified School District’s (SZUSD) Wellness Program features garden and nutrition education, Safe Routes to School as well as Youth and Adult Promotores(as). The garden program gives students opportunities to learn about growing and cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables. SLZUSD’s Safe Routes to School program includes input and participation by students and families to ensure that students safely walk and roll to school. High School Youth Promotores learn about ways to live a healthy life and share what they’ve learned with their peers. The adult Promotores (as) program includes SLZUSD parents who participate in the Wellness programs of their children’s schools and throughout the district.  We have also brought the Cooking for Health Academy to the district office.

Learn more about SLZUSD Wellness Programs

Summer programs at local recreation centers

Summer programs at local recreation centers included special Rethink Your Drink (RTYD) days with fresh fruit infused water and water games for children and youth. Year around program support comes from Measure A funded community-based partner organizations who implement innovative, impactful, and sustainable projects.

Work may include nutrition and physical activity education and promotion such as classroom lessons and garden-based education, activities that value the benefit of eating well and physical activity on one’s mental health and wellbeing. Partnerships may implement county wide, community informed social marketing campaigns and community led health fairs, and events for broad reach and  implement policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes for longer lasting impact such as passing wellness policies, increasing food access, and planting fruit trees and building gardens.

Please reach out to Joe Whittaker to learn more about Recreation and Park Opportunities.