CREATING HEALTHY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES

Overview

A program of the Department of Health and Wellness, Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) is a 5-year (2021-2026) NYSDOH-funded project that supports policy, system, and environmental changes to help make healthier choices, easier choices in the City of Kingston. The City of Kingston does this in collaboration with its community partners Cornell Cooperative Extension-Ulster County and Family of Woodstock by supporting school and community-based nutrition and physical activity programs.

To achieve these goals, the project focuses on 5 strategic areas:

1. Food Service Guidelines: Supporting community and worksites to create, implement, and promote food and nutrition guidelines in their food service venues.
2. Connecting Routes to Destinations: Community planning and active transportation interventions to increase safe and accessible physical activity.
3. School Nutrition & Physical Activity: Working with school officials, staff, and parents to implement improved policies and practices that create a supportive and healthy physical activity and nutrition environment.
4. Early Care & Education: Improved policies, practices, and environments for physical activity and nutrition in early child care settings.
5. Communications & Sustainability: Intentional and thoughtful communication with the community, media, and legislature to support behavior change, policy change, and convey critical information.

Watch this video to learn more about CHSC accomplishments across New York State.

Check out the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Year 3 Impact Report, and Years 1-3 Program Overview for more information on the program's activities and impact in Kingston.

Current Projects (As of September 2024)

Communications

• CHSC encourages making healthy eating fun while highlighting local produce through their citywide veggie and fruit of the month campaign, Kingston Eats.
• The CHSC team members are in the community and in the media! So far they have made appearances on 15 radio shows, were featured in a Hudson Valley 1 article, and highlighted in 7 e-newsletters.

Food Service Guidelines

• CHSC is working with the food pantry at Ulster Immigrant Defense Network (UIDN) to develop Community Health Guidelines to support more fresh and culturally appropriate foods for their food pantry. To support this work, CHSC purchased items such as a refrigerator, conveyor belt to help volunteers more easily receive heavy food, shelving, carts, and more.
• CHSC updated the City of Kingston’s Healthy Vending Guidelines, including adding Food Production Standards inspired by the Good Food Purchasing Standards and Food Packaging Standards. After releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new vending machine vendor, the City is in the process of having new vending machines installed at 8 municipal locations.
• Sustainable change takes time. To support partners in deepening their work, CHSC provided mini-grants to 5 former and current partners, including the Mental Health Association, People's Place, Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative, Salvation Army Food Pantry, and UIDN. Projects include a food pantry vegetable garden, a smoothie bar, new cooking equipment to prepare healthy community meals, and more.
• CHSC continues its partnership with The Teaching Kitchen at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House to host annual farm-to-institution, scratch-cooking hands-on training workshops for local organizations.
  
  
  

Connecting Routes to Destinations

• The CHSC grant funded the landscape plans for the greenspaces at Broadway and Grand/Pine Grove that will now be called Post Office park. Construction is underway and will be completed by December 31, 2024. The construction is being funded by Community Development Block Grant and American Rescue Plan Act funds. https://engagekingston.com/post-office-park
• A Greenline Wayfinding Plan was created. The plan includes signage designs, branding guidelines, and budget for a signage system for the Greenline network of trails and complete streets. 
  
  
  
   

School Nutrition & Physical Activity

• CHSC is working with Chambers Elementary, E.R. Crosby, and Ernest C. Myer to develop and sustain building wellness committees, increasing opportunities for physical activity and access to better nutrition.
• CHSC continues its partnership with George Washington Elementary, John F. Kennedy Elementary, Harry L. Edson Elementary by providing ongoing technical assistance and training as needed.
• CHSC is providing technical assistance to the District Wellness Committee to update their wellness policy in the 2024 – 2025 school year.
  
  
  

Early Care & Education

• CHSC is currently working on recruiting new sites. So far CHSC has worked with 13 sites in the City of Kingston, and two new sites in the catchment area have been added.
• CHSC is currently working on Physical Activities based on assessments from the daycare staff as well as addressing nutrition in sites and offering cooking activities to achieve nutrition goals
• CHSC is working with staff of sites to involve them in getting healthy.
  
  
  

Completed Projects

Food Service Guidelines

• Since 2021, CHSC has supported 6 community partners in developing food and nutrition guidelines to increase access to nutritious food- People’s Place, YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, Salvation Army food pantry, Mental Health Association, Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative. To support the implementation of this work, CHSC has redistributed over $54,000 in equipment, supplies, and professional development training.
• Examples of past projects include:
  • Purchasing shelving, shopping carts, posters, and cold storage for 3 different food pantries/distribution programs
  • Purchasing water fill stations for the YMCA and the Midtown Neighborhood Center to increase access to safe drinking water
  • Purchasing cooking equipment to make more healthful meals at the YMCA and Mental Health Association
    
    
    

Connecting Routes to Destinations

• A “Traffic Park,” sometimes called a traffic garden, transportation park, or safety village, is a great place to teach kids to ride bicycles and scooters. The project will paint the surface of an unused tennis court at Forsyth Park to look like a streetscape for users of all ages to practice their bicycle, scooter, or walking safety skills in a low-stress environment. https://livewellkingston.org/focus-teams/travel-well/kingston-traffic-park/
• The Complete Streets Advisory Council has assessed the Complete Streets Policy and have identified areas for improvement. An improved draft policy will be created and eventually submitted to the Common Council for consideration. 
• In 2022, CHSC supported safe and desirable cycling in Kingston through the purchase and installation of a bike shelter, bike fix-it station, and bike racks at Kingston Point Beach; along with supporting the YMCA’s Bike Programs.
  
  
  

School Nutrition & Physical Activity

• Since 2022, CHSC has supported George Washington Elementary, John F. Kennedy Elementary, Harry L. Edson Elementary, and Ernest C. Myer Elementary in creating a healthier school environment through starting building wellness committees, increased opportunities for physical activity and access to better nutrition. To support this, CHSC has redistributed over $55,000 in equipment and supplies.
• Examples of past projects include:
  • Assisted in creating active recess plans, including blacktop painting to encourage movement
  • Provided training to elementary staff on how to imbed physical activity into lesson plans
  • Supported a walking school bus
  • Assisted in expanding of the USDA funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program from one school to reaching over 1,100 students in 3 schools. 
  • Coordinated with KCSD food service and the Rondout Valley Growers Association to procure locally grown produce 
  • Coordinated 5 pop-up free food pantries, including locally grown produce
  • Supported healthier celebrations in classrooms
    
    
    

Early Care & Education

• CHSC has helped two sites get the Heart of Recognition Award, including through support in changing onsite policies and practices, and then applying for the award.

Contact:

For more information on CHSC, or if you'd like to inquire about how to become a community partner, please contact the Project Manager, Kristin Kessler, at [email protected] or 845-334-3917.