In FFY16, more LWPs were submitted for Maricopa than for any other Arizona county.  To some degree this was expected for the state’s most populous county, however the quality of Maricopa’s LWP-related programming matched the breadth of the LIAs’ reach.  LIAs providing Strategy 10 services in Maricopa successfully navigated the complexities of working across many, diverse districts during FFY16:

Maricopa County Department of Public Health. LIA staff participated in 70 meetings with school and LEA leadership, provided 145 Strategy 10 trainings, and submitted 13 LWPs.  In collaboration with the ADE, they effectively marketed SNAP-Ed services related to LWPs. Staff also attended regular District Wellness Committee (DWC) meetings, completed a county-level environmental scan of LWP assessments by leveraging other funding, and developed an LWP toolkit for districts seeking assistance in meeting federal regulations. “[S]chool health staff are working with ADE to coordinate and leverage resources for SNAP-Ed school districts that will be receiving an NSLP Administrative Review to assist with further development of a more comprehensive Local Wellness Policy (LWP) including the WellSAT Score Cards and recommendation summary.”

UA Cooperative Extension, Maricopa (Maricopa Extension). Maricopa Extension staff participated in 47 meetings with school and LEA leadership, provided 22 Strategy 10 trainings, and submitted 11 LWPs.  They built relationships with district nutrition services by hosting the popular “Build a Rainbow Day at the Salad Bar” events, which led to their participation in wellness committees and the potential to expand future support for LWP review and revision.  The ongoing relationship with the Cartwright School District flourished, promoting a coordinated school health approach that has received national recognition. “[W]orking with the Roosevelt School District Child Nutrition Services Department, the UANN Maricopa Coordinated School Health team is now invited to sit on the Roosevelt School District Wellness Team and provide resources and technical assistance to the district.”