Five Washington school districts will have a new source of support in their efforts to improve student health, thanks to a Washington Action For Healthy Kids project designed to assist districts with school wellness policies.

The WAAFHK project, funded by a grant from the Kellogg Company, will provide teams from Shelton, College Place, Ephrata, Othello and Toppenish with a one-day training tailored specifically to the districts’ needs. This training will help the teams identify resources and develop ways to overcome the barriers that currently hinder the implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies. Following the training, each team will receive ongoing technical assistance from WAAFHK and a $1,000 incentive to improve or implement their policies.

The districts selected to participate in the project have a high percentage of low-income and minority students and are located in counties with high obesity rates. In addition, they have demonstrated commitment to improving nutrition and physical activity opportunities for their students.