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Nutrition Program

The Nutrition Program unit was established as a component of the implementation plan for the Healthy School Act. The implementation plan includes the oversight, training and technical assistance of menu verification at the gold level of the Healthier US School Challenge Menu Criteria, DC Local Wellness Policy Implementation, DC Farm to School Program, and the DC School Garden program. The Act also requires that ongoing development and technical assistance be available to public and public charter schools towards the delivery of these services to the school community.  Learn more about

Grant Opportunities

USDA Community Voices for Health Expansion Project  (CVHE)- OSSE in partnership with American University, Howard University and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture were funded a USDA Team Nutrition Training Grant to implement "The Community Voices for Health Expansion Project" (CVHE).  The coordinated approach to this project is underway with a sub-set of middle schools to include a train-the-trainer nutrition education program, "NUDGE" meal service and new USDA Meal Pattern food service training, and exposure to locally grown produce.

School Administrators and Educators

School Administrators and Educators can be informed about nutrition education resources to enhance their local wellness policies and to be most informed about the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans through efforts by the USDA and other DC State Partners. These materials can be downloaded or discovered using the following websites as a guide:

Local Wellness Policy Implementation

The Healthy Schools Act of 2010 (HSA) was passed unanimously with a goal of improving health, wellness, and nutrition in the District of Columbia public schools and public charter schools. This important law established a requirement for schools to update and strengthen their local wellness policies every three years. OSSE-Wellness and Nutrition Service implements this mandate and provides technical assistance and training to assist schools with their health initiatives including healthy fundraising/celebration guidelines and updates to  their local wellness policies to maintain compliance with the HSA. Learn more about local wellness policy implementation tools including healthy fundraising and celebrations.

DC School Garden Program

Established under the Healthy Schools Act of 2010 (HSA), the purpose of the School Garden Program is to support DC public and charter schools in establishing and maintaining school gardens as an integral part of school curriculum, programs, and culture. This program will provide training, technical and financial support through competitive grant funds to participating schools in an effort to effectively utilize school gardens as a meaningful teaching resource.

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Farm to School Program

Established under the DC Healthy Schools Act in January, 2013. Across the country, an increasing number of schools and districts have begun to source more foods locally and to provide complementary educational activities to students that emphasize food, farming, and nutrition. This nationwide movement to enrich children’s bodies and minds while supporting local economies is often referred to as “farm to school.”  The term encompasses efforts that bring local or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias; hands-on learning activities such as school gardening, farm visits, and culinary classes; and the integration of food-related education into the regular, standards-based classroom curriculum.

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Team Publications

Additional Resources:

Service Contact: 
Wellness and Nutrition
Contact Email: 
wellness.nutrition@dc.gov
Contact Phone: 
(202) 727-1839
Contact TTY: 
711
Contact Suite #: 
4th Floor
Service Location: 

810 First Street, NE


GIS Address: 
810 First Street, NE
City: 
Washington
State: 
DC
Zip: 
20002