(Washington, DC) On Thursday, June 14, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will hold a policy breakfast forum. The event will examine school programs and discuss options for providing students with healthier eating options in school.  Some of the policy questions we seek to answer are:

• What are some of the school-based food programs, policy initiatives, or food industry efforts in existence or developing nationally to address the problem of obesity?
• What are some of the things we can we do to really change/incentivize what is happening in schools - and community settings – to improve children’s nutrition and reduce the childhood obesity trends?
• What are some of the efforts going on in the District of Columbia to provide more access to quality meals for students and to support healthier school environments?
• What are the key components for supporting healthy behavior in childcare settings and schools?
• What school-based food programs are doing well and succeeding?
• What are some challenges that school programs face?

WHO:    · James D. Weill, President, Food Research and Action Center
              · Julia Lear, Director, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools,
                         Department of Prevention Community Health, George Washington University
               · Robert Egger, President, DC Central Kitchen; Chair, Mayor’s Commission on Food and Nutrition
               · Ruth Perot, Executive Director, Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc      
               · Dianne Harris, Director of Health Services, Friendship Public Charter School

WHAT:    SEO Policy Forum Breakfast  “CUTTING THE FAT: Local and National Efforts to Provide Healthy School Environments for Students” [Limited space available.]

WHEN:   Thursday, June 14, 2007, 8:30 am – 10:30 am

WHERE:  Charles Sumner School
                 The Great Hall
                 1201 17th Street, NW 
                 Washington, DC 20036