The 2012-2013 school year, marked the second year of the School Food Service (SFS) Department implementing The OrganWise Guys (OWG) program. The program was introduced to all elementary schools the year before, and is a school-based intervention that uses fun characters who strive to teach children how to be healthy and smart from the inside out. School cafeterias continued to be decorated with the OWG Foods of the Month kit materials such as colorful and informative posters, Foods of the Month buttons worn by the staff, laminated cards and window clings that adorn the serving lines.

To keep the OWG program fresh and exciting for both SFS managers and students, the SFS Department agreed to purchase these OWG educational materials to support school-sites that were interested in coordinating events. SFS managers had the option to borrow items from the department’s “lending” library or submit a request for their own school kit. In addition to the “lending” library, this school year, we purchased 15 educational OWG baskets that SFS managers utilized for assembly functions and classroom learning. The OWG baskets included a small OWG doll, a music CD, an apron, a set of bookmarks, and a roll of stickers.

The SFS Department was able to market the OWG program through various methods. A “shout-out” video was requested which spotlighted the schools that had organized events.

The elementary lunch menus were utilized to promote the Foods of the Month and highlighted the items when offered in the school cafeterias.

In addition, the SFS Department did an OWG presentation at the August 9, 2012 in-service for all SFS managers and dedicated a portion of the nutrition lesson to OWG during the manager intern training on December 11, 2012.

During the 2012-2013 school year, 17 elementary SFS managers and 2 high school SFS managers coordinated events in their school sites. The events included age-appropriate assemblies, classroom lessons, cooking demonstrations, and taste testing. These fun and educational nutrition lessons were a great avenue for the students to learn more about the ten characters, the organs they represent and how students can keep them healthy for a lifetime.

We are looking forward to another exciting school year with the continuation of this school-based program by finding creative ways to infuse the fun OWG characters that promote healthy eating habits and teach kids to be smart from the inside out. In July 2013, we will be collaborating with the OWG team to do a joint presentation at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. We also purchased MyPlate OWG posters and these will be displayed in all elementary schools beginning in August 2013.