2017 HI-F2S CENSUS

CALLING ALL SCHOOLS

For the 2017

F2S CENSUS

 

Every pre-K and K-12 public, charter, and independent school across Hawaii is being counted in the 2017 HI-F2S CENSUS.

  • DEADLINE is December 22, 2017

 

The Hawai‘i Farm to School Program is conducting the 2017 Hawai‘i Farm to School Census in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Farm to School and School Garden Hui, to identify innovations, growth, priorities, and challenges, as well as highlight successes and best practices to strengthen Farm to School initiatives across Hawai‘i with strategic coordination of resources.

 

FARM TO SCHOOL initiatives include:

1) SCHOOL GARDENS – School learning gardens, food farms, and composting operations;

2) EDUCATION – Agriculture, food, and nutrition education; and

3) BUYING LOCAL – Purchasing and serving locally-grown foods for school meals and snacks.

This census is being conducted among all K-12 public, charter, and independent schools in Hawai‘i, as well as early childhood [education and care] programs.  Note this census involves capturing Farm to School Program information on all schools in Hawai`i and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to have information submitted directly by each school’s representative(s).

 

Enter your school’s information so we can:

  1. Count existing programs;
  2. Promote F2S successes and best practices;
  3. Address challenges;
  4. Align with school priorities;
  5. Track key performance indicators to report statewide data;
  6. Support F2S program resource requests!

 

 

F2S CENSUS/SURVEY BACKGROUND:  This 2017 F2S Census is a follow-up to previous F2S data collection activities and expansion on information gathered. 

  • PREVIOUSLY SCHOOL GARDEN FOCUSED: in 2012, the Hawaii Farm to School & School Garden Hui developed and reported on a 2012 Statewide School Garden Survey.   
  • ACTIVE YEARLY HIDOE SURVEYS: Safety and Wellness Survey (SAWS) monitors implementation of the of  HiDOE’s Wellness Guidelines, jointly administered by Department of Health’s School Health Program and HiDOE.  The SAWS captures basic school garden data and is completed by public school principals in furtherance of the Hawai’i Physical Activity & Nutrition Plan’s Objective 12, and measures compliance of the wellness policy as a requirement of the USDA’s new Local Wellness Policy Rule, part of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act (Sec. 204 of Public Law 108-265). 
  • COMPREHENSIVE F2S COMPONENTS TO SUPPLEMENT USDA:  In 2015 the USDA completed a Farm to School Census, reporting that Hawaii F2S Metrics showed 9 districts participating in F2S activities.  The USDA census did not accurately capture the dynamic F2S programs operating in our State, and we are discussing how USDA may be able to better capture relevant identifiers.  For example, HiDOE reported that “No farm to school activities were going on,” which fed-into USDA’s conclusion that 47% of Hawaii Schools surveyed engaged in F2S activities (although there is a 256:34 school ratio between HIDOE:Public Charter Schools).  We will continue to work with USDA on their census metrics, noting that USDA just announced that their next census is expected to roll-out in 2019.   
  • 2017 HI-F2S CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:  We are implementing a census to capture information about every school (ECE, private, public charter, & HiDOE schools), and need to be sure every school is counted.  For schools who do not submit their own survey, we will assign values of basic information that can be gleaned through other available reports (i.e. school garden reports, program reports, student info. through HiDOE reports, and food purchase info. through HiDOE-HCNP reports). The census will run through December 22nd, 2017 and a report will follow.