The Communities Putting Prevention to Work program (CPPW) implements environmental changes in an attempt to make healthy living easier for King County students and families. The focus is on South King County and South Seattle, where residents are more likely to be obese or smoke, such as the Highline School District, Sea Tac and Tukwila. Public Health partnered with more than 55 organizations, such as school districts, community-based organizations and local governments.

Burien adopted a tobacco-free policy for all their parks last Nov. 17, 2011, called the "Great American Smoke-out" and other cities including SeaTac are currently considering policies. Highline Medical Center is also now tobacco-free and offering more support to quit tobacco to its employees.King County Housing Authority converted units to smoke-free and Highline School District implemented a new procedure for alternative to suspension for students who use tobacco on campus.

The Highline School District is increasing the variety and amounts of fruits and vegetables offered and providing nutrition education and nutrition resources; increasing whole grains and reducing sodium levels; making free water available during school meals; providing only milk that is low-fat (1%) or non-fat white or flavored milk. Thirteen Highline elementary schools implemented "recess before lunch," reversing a longstanding practice of having lunch first followed by recess resulting in students rushing through lunch and wasting food in order to leave for recess earlier.

SNAP and WIC recipients can use their benefits at the Burien Farmers Market, and in the Highline School District30 cafeteria staff attended an all-day certified training program to learn cooking techniques and information about the nutritional differences between processed and whole foods.

Ryan Kellogg is CPPW Program Manager for Healthy Eating and Active Living. CPPW has two, two-year grants from Recovery Act money from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One is for tobacco prevention and there other is for healthy, active living. That includes diet and safety issues including finding improved routes to and from schools to walk safely with less traffic interference.

"We moved most CPPW funding to Highline, Tukwila, Kent, Renton, and other South Seattle communities," said Kellogg. "In King County there are definitely communities disproportionately impacted by tobacco use and obesity and there is a link between them and (low) income.

"In our 'recess before lunch' program, kids experience less 'plate waste' than if eating after recess," he said, adding that there are 12 Highline schools in the program. "Think back to the time when we were students in elementary school, heading into the lunch room after classes, thinking about the playground, not eating, so we rushed through our meals. We have found that with this program there are fewer discipline problems and visits to the school nurse."

Robin Lamoureux has been the principal at Parkside Elementary School in Des Moines for 12 years. She is a huge fan of the "recess before lunch'" component of CPPW.

"We're sold on it, that's for sure," she enthused. "We have no inclination to go back. The students take a full amount of time to eat. It's a little more pleasurable. By the time they return to class they are calmer. I love calm."

Parkside has about 520 students. About 60 percent are on the "free and reduced lunch" program. Some areas of South King County, including certain schools in White Center and Sea Tac are at 90 percent.

"The first thing offered in the cafeteria is a salad and vegetable bar," she said. "It is a choice, and they self-select healthy items more, and what they take, they eat, and they drink all their milk. Fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive. Kids from homes with poverty don't always get the freshest food. You've got to give credit to our school system for providing these fresh foods."

Megan de Vries is a registered and certified dietician, and Highline School District's Nutrition Services Manager. She plans the menu and special diets, and provides resources and education about good nutrition.

"Families with lower incomes are the least likely to have money in their budget to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for their to children," said de Vries.

"Kids come up to the cashier, go and grab milk, one percent white, or non-fat chocolate milk, then go to the fruit and vegetable salad bar which will have at least two different fresh vegetables in addition to a green salad and two different fruit choices," she explained. "Then they get their main entree and side.

"Most food is prepared on site, and we have production kitchens, so for harder menu items, like homemade spaghetti, the sauce is made in central location," she said. "Deli sandwiches, tacos, and pizza are made on site. Our pizza is low-fat mozzarella with whole grain crust. Pair that with salad, a piece of fruit and milk. I don't think that's junk food."

According to a CPPW March 23 press release:

More than 124,000 students in six school districts are benefitting from improved school food and physical activity, 49 stores in low-income neighborhoods are offering healthier options like fruits and vegetables, and 13,000 affordable housing units are now smoke-free – all as a result of a two-year King County partnership with cities, schools, and organizations to create healthier communities.
 
“With more access to healthier food, safer streets and smoke-free homes, hundreds of thousands of King County residents now have the chance to live longer, healthier lives,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.