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Nebraska Schools Receive Wellness Awards

Lincoln – Thirty-two Nebraska schools received awards in April for their efforts to improve the school environment to support healthy eating and physical activity. Health and education leaders gathered at the Nebraska Action for Healthy Kids Summit in Lincoln to recognize work that schools are doing to improve the health of students.

“It’s reassuring to see the remarkable collective efforts by teachers, school administrators, nurses, students and families to address the problems of poor nutrition and inactivity by improving the school environment,” said Dr. Joann Schaefer, Chief Medical Officer for the State of Nebraska. “Students in the 32 recognized schools are being empowered for academic and lifelong success by having healthy school environments that support healthy behaviors.”

A healthy school environment integrates healthy eating and physical activity across school operations and encompasses quality physical education, nutrition education, physical activity opportunities, nutrition standards for food sold and served in school, community outreach programs, active school wellness councils and more.

Dr. Schaefer presented the awards, while First Lady Sally Ganem commended the attendees for their dedication and work.

Nebraska Action for Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization addressing the epidemic of overweight, sedentary and undernourished youth by improving nutrition and increasing physical activity in schools. The interdisciplinary group presents gold, silver and bronze Action Awards based on each school’s comprehensive wellness application. To date, only three schools have received the Gold level distinction.

For more information, visit: http://www.neactionforhealthykids.org

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Note: Award winners are listed below.

Silver Awards

Ansley Ansley Public School
Ashland Ashland-Greenwood Elementary School
Crete Crete Middle School
Firth Norris Elementary School
Hartington Hartington Public Schools
Lincoln Campbell Elementary School


Loup City Loup City Public Schools
Macy Umo "ho" Nation Public School
North Platte Jefferson Elementary School
Omaha R.M. Marrs Magnet Center
Omaha St. Bernard Catholic School
Omaha Swanson Elementary School
Omaha Western Hills Magnet
St. Libory Central City Middle School
Walthill Walthill Public School


Bronze Awards

Ashland Ashland-Greenwood Middle School
Curtis Medicine Valley Public Schools
Diller Diller-Odell Elementary School
Firth Norris Middle School
Harrisburg Banner County School
McCook Central Elementary School
Lincoln Goodrich Middle School
McCook McCook Elementary
McCook McCook Jr. High School
McCook McCook Sr. High School
Omaha Catlin Magnet Arts Center
Omaha McMillan Magnet Center
Omaha St. Philip Neri School
Omaha Trinity Christian School
Pleasanton Pleasanton High School
Wahoo Wahoo Public School
Wilcox Wilcox-Hildreth School