Promoting Healthy Choices
to School-Aged Children
in Miami-Dade County
Lillian Rivera, RN, MSN, PhD
Administrator/Health Officer
Florida Department of Health
in Miami-Dade County
October 3, 2014
Initiatives Creating Partnerships/
Bringing Stakeholders Together
• Consortium for a Healthier Miami- Dade
• Communities Putting Prevention to Work
(CPPW)
• Make Healthy Happen Miami
Childcare Centers
• Environmental and system changes
implemented
– Facilitate healthier menu changes
– Increase physical activity
– Decrease screen time
Miami-Dade County
Public Schools
• Wellness Policy adopted by School Board
(May 2006)
• Healthy Beverage and Food Guidelines
incorporated into the policy (November 2009)
• Environmental changes implemented
– Refrigerated reimbursable cash-less vending
machines offer fresh, healthy meals
• All 177 elementary schools designated USDA
HealthierUS Schools Bronze Award winners
Miami-Dade County
Public Schools
• Florida-grown fruits and vegetables provided
through the school meal program in 2009
– South Florida local harvest season (generally
November through April) accommodates the
academic school year
• CPPW 40 Pilot Schools: Forty schools located
in South Miami selected to participate in the
CPPW Farm-to-Schools initiative
Physical Education/
Health Literacy
• Department of Physical Education and Health
Literacy increased SPARK* curriculum from 40
to 240 schools
– Grades three through five
– Spark approved equipment provided
*Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids
Alliance for a
Healthier Generation
• Increased opportunities for students to
engage in healthy behaviors
• Cadre of Coaches – Ten champions in Healthy
Schools Program
• Implementation grants to 58 schools to
promote increased physical activity and
healthy eating in line with Healthy Schools
Program
University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine
• WalkSafe™ program
– Pedestrian safety skills, physical activity, walkability
surrounding elementary schools
– Multidisciplinary approach reduces pedestrian injuries
in high-risk neighborhoods
• Transportation Surveillance System (TSS)
– First survey of its kind in Miami-Dade County
– Site surveys to validate self-reported results
– Health promotion and active transportation
awareness for Miami-Dade County school
administrators
Miami-Dade County Parks
Recreation and Open Spaces
• Fit2Play®
– Health Wellness and Obesity Prevention AfterSchool and Out of School Program
– Homework help followed by SPARK activities
– Offered at 34 parks
– Studied and endorsed by University of Miami as a
national model
Thank you
Questions?