WINNER: SPOKANE (WA) PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ENTRY: WHOLE GRAIN HERO

THE BIG IDEA: The goal of Spokane Schools' Whole Grain Hero initiative is not only to promote whole grain consumption by students and staff and educate them about the health benefits of this kind of food but also to raise awareness of the whole grains offered in the school meal program. It also marketed Spokane Schools' nutrition services department as a great source of quality nutrition information and nutritious food choices, increasing school lunch participation in the process.

Participants in the promotion completed Whole Grain Hero contracts and then recorded one or more whole grain items consumed each day of the contest week. This could be either at school or at home. The class at each elementary school with the highest percentage of Whole Grain Heroes (those recoding a whole grain item consumed each day of each contest week) received fun t-shirts proclaiming them Whole Grain Heroes. At the middle and high schools, the Whole Grain Heroes were selected by a random drawing of those who completed their contracts.

The promotion was a great success, showcasing more than a dozen whole grain menu items and getting thousands of students across the district excited about “Getting Their Whole Grains On.”