Prevention First
Public health teams from both the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working to reduce the number of Californians who are obese or who have chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. CDC is funding CDPH, in collaboration with the California Department of Education, to implement an initiative called Prevention First (PF) in California. PF provides support for individuals to adopt healthy behaviors to reduce their risk for chronic disease. PF staff are working to help improve health practices and environments in designated school districts including Safe Routes To School (SRTS), corner stores (healthy retail: consumer focus), early care and education sites, and work sites (emphasis on physical activity, vending machines, food service, nutrition standards, and breastfeeding support). Click on the links below to learn more about PF priorities, services, and resources. You may contact the Prevention First team by email at PF@cdph.ca.gov.
Prevention First - School Health
Nutrition - Education Resources
School Nutrition—Smarter Lunchroom Movement
The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement is dedicated to providing schools with the knowledge, motivation, and resources needed to build a lunchroom environment that makes healthy food choices the easy choice. Smarter Lunchrooms strategies are free or low-cost solutions that nudge students to voluntarily select the healthiest food in the lunchroom, Smarter Lunchrooms can see less waste, higher participation, more satisfied students, and increased consumption of important nutrient-rich foods. For more information, visit the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement.
School Nutrition—California Department of Education
The California Department of Education (CDE) helps schools, child care programs, and other community programs provide healthy meals and snacks to children. Almost every school in California serves lunch to its students. Some schools also serve breakfast and snacks. A child may be able to get free meals or meals at a very low cost. To learn more about nutrition services offered in California schools, visit the California Department of Education's School Nutrition webpage.
Physical Activity – Education Resources
This 70-page no-cost guide provides a complete overview of a comprehensive school health activity program, called CSPAP, and describes in detail the step-by-step strategies to develop, implement, and evaluate CSPAP. The Guide was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and released in 2013.
This is a four-page summary of the above Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Guide for Schools.
This is a 52-slide Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) PowerPoint presentation prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that describes the entire CSPAP process.
This three-page document, prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes the framework for physical activity and a listing of resources that support CSPAP (Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program).
Among other elements, this report looks at the link between physical activity and academic achievement, classroom behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes.
This 67-slide PowerPoint presentation provides an overview regarding the main elements of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP).
Physical Activity Resources
This two-page list includes materials that focus on physical activity education, policy, national plans, joint use, environmental support, and accommodation for individuals with disabilities, etc.
The Recess Guide provides a step-by-step approach for developing and implementing a school recess plan, including both strategy and policy elements. This resource was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America.
The Strategies Document serves as a companion piece to the Recess Guide, addressing both recess strategy and policy elements. This resource was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America.
Organizations that Support Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) Goals
This is a list of organizations that support CSPAP work in California. The list is not necessarily exhaustive.
Physical Activity – Policy Resources
This policy continuum includes model language that addresses each of the five CSPAP components for both elementary and secondary schools. The tool provides several options for policy language that range from basic to optimal impact. Subtopics covered include amount, frequency, and intensity of physical education; curriculum; class size; teacher certification and ongoing training; student assessment; and waivers and exemptions.
The Recess Guide provides a step-by-step approach for developing and implementing a school recess plan, including both strategy and policy elements. This resource was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America.
The Strategies Document serves as a companion piece to the Recess Guide, addressing both recess strategy and policy elements. This resource was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Register your Walk or Bike to School Day Event Here!
Get counted by joining thousands of programs across the country for Walk to School Day or Bike to School Day. Register your event as a resource for others and/or find resources on how to start and sustain and Walk to School Day or Bike to School Day event and activities in your school.
The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program. The Center also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation.
Safe Routes to School Technical Assistance Resource Center Tools
Visit the California Active Communities’ Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Technical Assistance Resource Center that offers a large collection of free resources to help grow SRTS programs in your community.
For more information regarding SRTS, please contact Sophia.Mercado@cdph.ca.gov or 916.323.1648.
Prevention First – Worksite
BikeShare Toolkit (PDF, 1.1MB)
Would you like to offer your employees free and easy access to bicycles during the workday to travel to meetings, complete errands, and/or get physical activity? This 26-page document gives you step-by-step instructions on how to create and manage a BikeShare program at your worksite.
For more information regarding Worksite, please contact Linda.Cowling@cdph.ca.gov or 916.445.2973.
Prevention First - Early Care and Education
For more information regarding School Health, please contact Melba.Hinojosa@cdph.ca.gov or 916.449.5370.
Prevention First - Healthy Retail
SHOP Healthy Here (SHH) Program Toolkit (PDF, 17.2MB)
The SHOP Healthy Here - Healthy Retail Recognition Program Toolkit provides a framework and resources for working with retail storeowners to progressively increase the availability of, and access to, healthy foods and beverages. The resources in this toolkit can be tailored and adjusted to the readiness of the retailer for change.
For more information regarding Healthy Retail, please contact Peter.Munoz@cdph.ca.gov or 916.449-5291.