Grantee Profiles
Chula Vista, San Diego County
South Bay Partnership - Chula Vista Community Collaborative (CVCC)
Collaborating grantees:
The South Bay Partnership; Sweetwater Union High School District; and San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency- South Region. Other partners include: Chula Vista Elementary School District; Chula Vista Community Collaborative; the City of Chula Vista; Walk San Diego; Environmental Health Coalition; Regional Nutrition Network; San Diego County Coalition on Children and Weight and Obesity Prevention Master Plan; Area Health Education Committee; South Bay Family YMCA; local resident leaders; and local and state policymakers.
Community Description
West Chula Vista has a population of approximately 80,000, predominately Latino, but with sizable white, African American, and some API populations. The project area is defined by the attendance areas of two high schools - Castle Park and Chula Vista. The project area includes sixteen elementary and two middle schools that feed into the high schools and a continuation high school (Palomar), which draws students from the broader region.
Western Chula Vista is an area with high levels of poverty, ethnic diversity, and a large number of young children. Cross-border migration and bi-national/bilingual culture have a significant influence. Approximately 31% of the residents are foreign born, Spanish is the primary language in 52.4% of households and over 75% of the area's public school students are Hispanic. According to a 2001 report by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 36% of the students in the Southern Region of San Diego (Assembly District 79) are overweight, which makes it one of the most highly affected areas in California. Latinos constitute 69% of the children tested and have a higher than average incidence of obesity. Additionally, 46% of the students in the District were evaluated as "unfit". Anecdotal evidence indicates that Type 2 diabetes is popping up with alarming frequency among middle and high school students in the community served by the HEAC program.
These community risk factors are counterbalanced by a significant collaborative infrastructure and capacity among the Chula Vista Community Collaborative (CVCC), South Bay Partnership and other partner agencies.
Key Policy Goals and Strategies
School Sector
- Develop plans to identify, improve and market foods that meet SB 12 and SB 965 standards.
- Ensure that Physical Education mandates are adhered to at all grade levels. Improve curriculum, professional training, and facilities
- Develop strategy for linking youth advocates (including participants in California Center training), site-based groups (parent groups, School Site Council), district bodies (PTA, CVESD School Health Council, South Bay Health Advocates), and other community groups (CV Youth Advisory Commission, CV Youth Coalition) to support environmental changes in schools.
After School Sector
- Draft regulations on promotion of physical activity to apply to extended day at school sites, and have reviewed by appropriate district counsel.
- Gain support from City of Chula Vista's Youth Sports Council and Youth Commission for improving nutrition and physical activity environments in youth programs.
Neighborhood Sector
- Promote planning and design that enhance the environment for pedestrians and cyclists around the project area. Conduct local Walkability assessments. Ensure that South West Area Specific Plan and other documents include guidelines and policies to enhanceme pedestrian and bicyclist areas. Revise street design standards to improve pedestrian safety and access.
- Maximize opportunities for joint use to allow public access to playgrounds/open fields.
- Engage parents, youth and families to advocate for improvements in neighborhood food and physical activity environments and overall environmental quality. Provide leadership development and policy advocacy training to support community involvement.
Healthcare Sector
- Train students participating in AHEC health career mentoring program on improving their nutritional or physical activity environment and will implement a project applying the concepts they learned in the training
- Work with Childhood Obesity Initiative and Diabetes Coalition to include a special page on obesity and diabetes treatment and prevention resources on 211 website
- Arrange for free or low-cost childhood obesity prevention and/or weight management programs to be offered in a community-based setting
Accomplishments
- Implemented 100% healthy vending in all City of Chula Vista public vending machines.
- Instituted breast-feeding support policy at all City of Chula Vista work sites.
- Created Healthy Community Task Force between the City of Chula Vista and HEAC to address policies leading to environmental changes that contribute to a healthy community.
- HEAC-CV was appointed a seat at the City of Chula Vista Redevelopment Advisory Committee. HEAC's role as a member is to provide public health recommendations on development applications, with emphasis on design and on conformity with adopted plans, ordinances, and guidelines.
- Implemented nutrition standards established in recent state legislation within Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) three years ahead of schedule and approved a school wellness policy more than one year ahead of schedule.
- SUHSD cafeteria and after school programs are working together to provide students with more healthy food choices meeting SB12/SB965 standards.
- Supplied target schools with a variety of posters for nutrition and physical activity promotion, to be displayed in cafeterias, PE locker rooms, health education classrooms and after school program facilities.
- PE teacher hired in Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) to train teachers at target schools in effective ways to provide PE to students.
- Expanded SNAP Program (Senior Nutrition Advocacy Program) at 4 school sites in CVESD.
- Held a conference "Taking Charge of Childhood Obesity: Community Strategies for Health Professionals" for pediatricians to set standards for measurements and recording of BMI and identify policy strategies and goals.
- Created "Nutrition & Physical Activity Resource Guide for Chula Vista: Fun and Low-Cost Ways to get your Family to Eat Better and Move More"; working with 211 to plan integration of this guide with the 211 referral system.
- Health and Human Services Agency-South Region formed partnership AHEC to engage youth in health care sector activities, and to incorporate environmental change/ policy advocacy training into Promotora Certificate Worker Program courses and the National Promotora Conference.
- City Council passed the following resolutions:
- A Resolution to Adopt A Council Policy on Breastfeeding Support that will provide accommodations at all City facilities for breastfeeding mothers.
- A Resolution to Adopt a Council Policy on Public Vending Machines in City Facilities providing 100% healthy beverages and snacks per SB 12 and 965.
- Download the resolutions, and the policies, below. Please note that City staff is already aware that they need to make a slight change to the SB identified regarding the vending machine policy. They will be changing SB 19 to SB 965 in the edited drafts.
CV Resolutions [50k pdf file]
CV Breastfeeding Policy [6k pdf file]
CV Vending Policy [69k pdf file]
New Park in Chula Vista and HEAC featured in Radio Broadcast
KPBS in San Diego did a story about the new Harborside park, emphasizing community involvement to get the park, and the county's commitment to change the built environment to combat the obesity epidemic.
To Learn More, Contact:
South Bay Partnership
Tanya Rovira-Osterwalder
619-691-8801
Sweetwater Union High School District
Loren Tarantino
619-585-6021
Health and Human Services Agency—South Region
Elena Quintanar
619-409-3324
