PRESS RELEASE

School District of Philadelphia launches innovative lunch program at Ziegler Elementary

Made possible by support from the IBC Foundation, more than 500 students will receive healthy lunches and life skills training through the Vetri Foundation for Children’s Eatiquette program

Philadelphia, PA — March 26, 2014 — The School District of Philadelphia (SDP), Vetri Foundation for Children, and the Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation today announced that the Eatiquette Program — which equips schools to prepare and serve cooked from scratch nutritious meals to children, and educates students and parents on the importance of nutrition — is now in place at Ziegler Elementary school in northeast Philadelphia. Serving more than 500 students at Ziegler, Eatiquette is essential to the “Eat Right” component of the IBC Foundation’s Healthy Futures program, a $3 million initiative focused on improving child wellness in the Philadelphia region.

Eatiquette aims to transform a child’s lunch from the traditional cafeteria assembly line to an environment where children gather around round tables, pass plates of food to one another, and experience social interaction and communication. Family style eating creates an interactive environment where kids don’t just eat lunch, they dine. Teachers and adult volunteers model for students how to set a table, how to work together as a team, and how to try new foods.

“We are thrilled to have the support of The Vetri Foundation for Children and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation as we work to improve student nutrition and meal participation in our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. William Hite. “The holistic approach of these programs will empower our students to develop healthy eating and exercise habits for life.”

"It's great to be working with the district to introduce a new way of eating school lunch to their students," said Marc Vetri, chef/owner of the Vetri Family restaurants and co-founder of the Vetri Foundation for Children. "There are so many kids in Philadelphia who struggle to get the right nutrition - we're excited to be part of making sure the food they get at school is fresh and healthy."

Ziegler is one of 25 elementary schools across five counties in the Philadelphia region participating in the IBC Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative, which offers a variety of programs through nationally known partners to help students eat right, get fit, and stay well.

We’re very excited to have four Philadelphia School District elementary schools participating in Healthy Futures and that Ziegler is one of four core schools receiving the full array of Healthy Futures services, including weekly personalized fitness classes from Fit Essentials, visits from the Greener Partners mobile Farm Explorer and the Philadelphia Union, health related focus groups from the Villanova MacDonald Center for Obesity, Prevention and Education (COPE), and health prevention support from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,” said IBC Foundation president Lorina Marshall-Blake. “We congratulate Dr. Hite and Marc Vetri for their shared vision and commitment to helping Philadelphia children live healthier lives.”

As part of Healthy Futures, the IBC Foundation will conduct a three-year study by Drexel University tracking changes in indicators such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, prevalence of chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure), nutritional awareness, compliance with mandatory screenings, and fitness assessments, such as cardiovascular health, muscular strength, and flexibility to measure the results of the program. The study’s findings will help the IBC Foundation and its partners shape recommendations for future child wellness initiatives as well as replicating the Healthy Futures program in other regions.

About The School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the nation, by enrollment. Located in a historic and culturally rich setting, we are a racially and ethnically diverse community committed to education. We are students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members; we are the School District of Philadelphia.

About Vetri Foundation for Children
Founded in 2008 by acclaimed chef Marc Vetri and restaurateur Jeff Benjamin, the Vetri Foundation for Children works to help kids experience the connection between healthy eating and healthy living. When they make that connection, children make better decisions about their own health, they influence their families, and they become a voice for better choices in their communities.

Where better to get started than in the school lunchroom? Eatiquette, the Vetri Method for school lunch, provides kids not only with fresh, nutritious food, but also with the social education that comes from sharing good food. The lunch room doubles as a classroom where children learn the benefits of good nutrition,
etiquette, team work, and respect.

The Vetri Foundation for Children is a registered 501(c)3 organization.

About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is leading solutions for a healthier community. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:

• Securing the Blue Safety Net: Supporting private, nonprofit community health center clinics that provide access to quality, affordable healthcare in medically underserved areas.
• Bolstering the Health Care Workforce: Strengthening the nursing, primary care, and allied health workforce through education, career development, and research.
• Addressing Health Priorities:  Collaborating with wellness partners to tackle the region’s most pressing health challenges; currently combating the obesity epidemic through the IBC Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative.
• Building healthy communities: Partnering with community leaders and programs to address community health and wellness needs.

Learn more by visiting our website: www.ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on Twitter at @ibxfdn.

Media Contacts
Ruth Stoolman
Independence Blue Cross
Ruth.stoolman@ibx.com
215-241-4807 (office)
215-280-3335 (cell)

© 2013 Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Independence Blue Cross and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, serving the needs of Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania.