Schools

What is 5210 Healthy Washoe?

Adapted from Let’s Go, 5210 is a nationally recognized obesity prevention initiative that uses an evidence-based framework to promote four simple, healthy habits each day.

Healthy Eating and Active Living Nevada (HealNV) is a community engagement initiative developed by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health to promote healthier behaviors statewide. 5210 programs can be found in both Northern and Southern Nevada, with 5210 Healthy Washoe being the program that involves all efforts to promote healthy eating and active living across Washoe County.

How does it work?

5210 Healthy Washoe helps communities promote a shared, consistent message that ties local efforts together across multiple sectors. When being used in a community organization, 5210 can promote health messaging and environmental changes to support community members in making the healthy choice the easy choice with the 5210 daily cues.

Target Outcomes

• Improved awareness of the importance of healthy habits.
• Increase in healthy habits among kids, families, staff, and the overall community.
• Increase in healthy weight among youth.

Schools can Play a Vital Role

5210 is a community engagement initiative working to improve health behaviors that impact overweight and obesity. 5210 is rooted in the social-ecological model of behavior change, which acts upon policy, systems, and environments to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Evidence-based strategies are used to facilitate healthy eating and active living (HEAL) in education, schools, food bank pantries, businesses, resource centers, and healthcare practices here in Washoe County. The more connected our community is to the effort, the more supported community members feel when making healthy choices.

Children spend the majority of their day at school and eat one or more meals, plus snacks, during the school day. Schools have the opportunity to provide healthier foods in the classroom and cafeteria, and to increase physical activity throughout the school day creatively. In addition to helping establish healthy habits, schools want to do what they can to make sure their students are ready and able to learn. 

Getting Started

The 5210 program is flexible and can be easily woven into your busy day. We support the schools, childcare centers, and out-of-school programs by partnering with teachers, nurses, PE teachers, nutrition directors, cafeteria managers, principals, and more. We’ll help you assess what you’re already doing well, identify areas for improvement, and implement an action plan to meet your unique goals. We are here to help you develop healthier students. They perform better academically and have better behavior in the classroom. 

Promote healthy messaging within your school to support students and families in making the healthy choice the easy choice. Schools are encouraged to participate in these FREE programs. 

Fuel Up Healthy, GO! 

Fuel Up Healthy, GO! is a program for elementary school classrooms that promotes healthy behaviors, focusing on the importance of healthy eating and being physically active. Fuel Up Healthy, GO! is a self-paced program that is implemented in the classrooms by teachers. Program materials are provided, and small incentives are given to students at the completion. 

To learn more, please reference the Fuel Up Healthy, GO! page 

Healthy Cafeterias 

Participating schools from the Washoe County School District have joined in this important initiative to help kids recognize and make healthier choices at school. Healthy cafeteria initiatives modify the food environment during school lunch periods, prominently displaying, marketing, and increasing the convenience of healthy foods and providing many healthy options, especially fresh, whole foods and foods cooked from scratch. Healthy cafeteria initiatives can focus on food served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) as well as competitive or à la carte offerings. 

For additional resources on how to implement 5210 with your youth organization please reference the toolkit below. 
 

• Welcome Letter 
• 5210 Healthy Washoe Youth Toolkit 
• 5210 Healthy Washoe 5 Step Path for Success 
• 5210 Healthy Washoe 10 Strategies for Success 
• 5210 Healthy Washoe Action Planning Packet 

To learn more about either of these amazing programs, please email 5210healthywashoe@nnph.org