A Healthy Back To School

By Deirdre Imus, August 2019
Back-to-school season is upon us, bringing with it the anticipation of new experiences for the kids in our lives. While many parents and caregivers can’t necessarily select which school a child will attend, we can choose to advocate for healthy changes. In this issue, we feature several ideas for helping to make that happen, including my Top 5 Back-to-School Tips. We may each be just a single voice raising awareness, but finding other similarly passionate people means our efforts will be amplified.

As we continue working toward a greener and safer planet for our kids, we’ve partnered with the Coalition for Healthier Schools to make our voices stronger. This national forum and platform brings together a powerful array of groups supporting new policies and actions to ensure all schools are environmentally safe and healthy.  The environment in which children learn is as important as what they learn. If kids are being subjected to toxic exposures at school, such as lead, asbestos, and other indoor pollutants not only does it lead to increased absences, it can disrupt focus, motivation, and performance.  Read more about how you can help improve your child’s school environment at healthyschools.org

No matter how harried your family’s school days are, they can be made smoother with some old-fashioned, wholesome foods. Whether in a packed lunch, afterschool snack, or quick dinner after a long day, check out these healthy recipes for inspiration! We’ve also included 10 tips for making quick and easy school lunches.

As we look back on this summer at the Center, we’re thankful for our interns and ready to move ahead with new projects and initiatives to protect our children’s health. And our Medical Advisor, Ben Kligler, MD, updates us on sunscreen safety, which is important year-round for people of any size or age.