Nemours Health & Prevention Services, in partnership with the Delaware School Board Association, the School Health Advisory Council, the Delaware Association of School Administrators and the Delaware Division of Public Health, is pleased to announce the first recipients of the Edith P. Vincent Healthy Schools Awards. These newly established awards are given to Delaware public schools that have demonstrated both interest and progress in enhancing student health via nutrition or physical education/physical activity initiatives. Awardees have improved the school health environment by making permanent policy changes, by adopting new practices, or both.
The award’s namesake, Edith P. Vincent, is a former school nurse and life-long champion for children’s health in the state of Delaware who, after retirement, served on the Woodbridge School District Board until recently. “I am proud to have this award named after me,” Ms. Vincent said, “because I believe that the areas of health and health promotion are very important in schools and I’m happy to see them finally getting the attention they deserve."
The 2009 -2010 award winners are:
- Brader Elementary for 1) Brader’s Café Contests and 2) the Brader Wellness Committee
- Brandywine School District for the district’s overall school nutrition program
- Brandywine Springs Elementary for Dare to Live Healthy the Red Clay Way
- Brookside Elementary for Child Nutrition
- Downes Elementary for their Healthy School Program
- Milton Elementary for 1) Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds and 2) No Child Left on Their Behinds
- Richardson Park Elementary for Students are “ABLE”
- Seaford Central Elementary for Superstar School Garden
- South Dover Elementary for Fitness Fridays
- Stokes Elementary for their Coordinated School Health Program
- West Seaford Elementary for Eating the Alphabet
- Woodbridge Elementary for their Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Brief descriptions of each award-winning program are available.
The Edith P. Vincent Healthy Schools Awards will be presented by representatives from the sponsoring organizations each year during the Delaware School Board Association annual meeting. Along with a certificate of achievement, each award winner will receive a banner and plaque, which will be presented at the respective district board meetings, as well as recognition at the State Board of Education meeting. In addition, two of the winning schools will be chosen at random to receive an all-expense-paid trip for one staff member to attend the American School Health Association meeting in Kansas City, MO in October 2010. The Edith P. Vincent Healthy Schools Awards represent an effort to continually recognize and support the work being done by schools to help make Delaware’s children the healthiest in the nation.