Title
Calling on the Public, Private, Charter and Parochial Schools of Philadelphia to explore and investigate the value of urban school gardens.
Body
WHEREAS, Urban school gardens can be created by mandating the preservation of existing gardens in schools, promoting the use of school garden produce in school cafeterias and developing and evaluating school garden pilots to facilitate a more systematic roll out of a garden in every school; and
WHEREAS, To develop, establish and promote urban school garden pilot programs which link school gardens and community health and food system change, to evaluate logistical issues, shared resources, cost factors and community engagement with schools will help to assess the capital resources needed and ultimate value of an urban school garden program; and
WHEREAS, In the 2004 reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act school districts were required to adopt wellness programs; and
WHEREAS, On March 2, 2006, then Councilman Michael A. Nutter introduced a resolution authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on the dramatic increase in childhood obesity nationally and locally, and to evaluate and make recommendations on the actions that local government, in conjunction with public and private partners, can take to help reduce and eliminate this public health epidemic; and
WHEREAS, In March 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden at the White House to educate children about health, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern; and
WHEREAS, On February 12, 2010, City Council of Philadelphia authorized the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings to investigate the emergence of national and local adult and childhood obesity as an epidemic, the causes of obesity; the racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related illnesses; and how the high availabil...
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