Rudd Center Launches Parent Advocate Website

The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University has launched a new website aimed at helping parents navigate through the complex issues of school food. The new website, Rudd SPARK — Supporting Parent Advocates with Resources and Knowledge — enables parent advocates to network with each other and provides access to Rudd Center research and resources.

Rudd SPARK helps parent advocates understand school food regulation at the federal, state, and local levels and provide strategies on how to become a school food expert, advocate effectively, and use local and social media to advocate for change within their school district.

The site highlights areas that can have a positive impact on the school food environment, including wellness policies, national meal programs, foods sold outside national meal programs, school gardens, and school food legislation. Each area contains relevant research, examples of best practices utilized by school districts, and tools to develop strategies and track progress.

Rudd SPARK also identifies key players in schools, school districts, and the community who are essential in building a healthy school food environment.

“Parents are critically important and powerful advocates for children’s health,” said Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D., deputy director of the Rudd Center. “This site is designed to provide parents with the resources and knowledge they need to ensure their voices are heard by school administrators, policymakers, and the food industry. Rudd SPARK marks the beginning of an ongoing effort at the Rudd Center to make our research more accessible to parents throughout the country.”

The website will be updated regularly and may be accessed at www.RuddSPARK.org.