SAN FRANCISCO — As students throughout California don back-to-school outfits and march off to class sporting new backpacks, State School Chief Jack O'Connell wants to promote a new trend on California's school campuses — health!

"I challenge all of California's schools and districts to focus on students' nutrition and physical fitness," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. "Let's start this school year right by providing California's students with the tools they need to learn and grow strong both physically and mentally."

To make that goal a reality, O'Connell introduced the Superintendent's Challenge. A coordinated effort between O'Connell and the California Task Force on Youth and Wellness (a joint initiative of the state Legislature), the Challenge invites local school districts across California to improve the health of their students through the development and implementation of policies that promote proper nutrition and regular physical activity.

The Challenge is a direct response to the failing health and growing obesity of California's children. Three of every four California students are unfit and more than a quarter are overweight according to a recent study of fifth, seventh and ninth graders. That health crisis, along with recent studies linking good nutrition and fitness with improved academic performance, make schools an ideal place to begin addressing and correcting this epidemic.

Each school district that takes up the Challenge by providing healthier meals and nutrition education will receive recognition from O'Connell, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the state Senate. The most exemplary districts will receive a cash award of $2,000 from Stonyfield Farm, the nation's largest producer of organic yogurt. Stonyfield Farm has taken a lead in advocating healthier school meals and snacks, as well as promoting the involvement of corporate America in addressing the growing childhood obesity epidemic.

Among the supporters of the effort is state Sen. Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), who chairs the Wellness Task Force. "As a parent and former health teacher, I can tell you that nutrition is an essential building block for school success," he said. "Healthy, active, and well-nourished children are more prepared to learn, more likely to attend school and class, and able to take advantage of educational opportunities."

Schools looking to adopt healthy policies have a wealth of examples within the state to draw upon. San Francisco's Aptos Middle School serves as a showcase for innovative policies. School leaders and parents recently revolutionized the foods and beverages available in Aptos' vending machines and snack shop. Rather than complaints and lost revenue, Aptos is realizing both increased sales and profits, belying the myth that students will pay only for fatty, high-sugar snacks.

"San Francisco is pleased to be one of the first school districts in California to address the child obesity crisis head-on with our healthy foods and vending policy," stated San Francisco Superintendent of Schools, Arlene Ackerman. "We encourage all schools to join us in making nutrition and physical activity a priority, so that our students will truly be ready to learn."

Also on hand to support the Challenge was Los Angeles Unified School District Board Vice President Marlene Canter, whose district captured international headlines last year when it banned sodas in all 677 of its schools. "We have a tremendous opportunity to model healthy choices that students will carry with them for the rest of their lives," explained Canter.

To qualify for the Challenge, a school district must pass a district-wide healthy foods or nutritional health policy by November 1, 2003. Awards will be announced next May. The Superintendent's Challenge award application will be available in September on the CDE Web site at Challenge 2003 (No Longer Available) and at the Task Force Web site at California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness: Health in California's Schools and Workplaces [http://www.wellnesstaskforce.org] (Outside Source).