Healthy + Happy #6: Happy 50th, Title IX
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in the U.S. on the basis of sex — and 50 years is cause for celebration. Since Title IX’s passing, female participation in sports has grown by 1,057 percent at the high school level and 614 percent in college.
Despite the positive trend, there’s still more work to do.
Women and girls still have fewer opportunities to play sports — and women of color, women with disabilities and women in the LGBTQ+ community have even fewer, according to recent studies.
Title IX advocates say boys still often receive better uniforms, field time, equipment, coaches and publicity than girls. Substandard facilities for girls have led to lawsuits as social media continues to highlight the discrepancy.
Title IX isn’t always enforced, so it’s often up to parents and students to report violations. The problem: 3 out of 4 teens and 3 out of 5 parents know “nothing at all” about Title IX, and many have assumed inequality is the standard.
We’re still learning about the roots of women’s sports, Title IX and its progress, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn more:
A new docu-series, 37 Words, airs in June on ESPN.
The Women’s Sports Foundation released a recent report: “50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet.”
This tool from Champion Women ranks colleges and universities in terms of gender equality.
In the News
School food round-up.
Before 2010, kids who ate school lunches gained weight more rapidly than their peers. Since 2010, this trend has flipped. The reason? The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, which strengthened nutritional requirements for school lunches (in 2010).
Still, kids today are starting kindergarten with higher BMI than those before them, highlighting the importance of nutrition at home. Free school lunches can help(think: healthier groceries, reduced food insecurity, improved mental health, etc.).
According to a 2021 report from the Rockefeller Foundation, school meal programs cost $18.7 billion per year but provide almost $40 billion in human health and economic equity (a.k.a. $21 billion in net societal value). What’s more: Investing 10-25 cents more per meal could increase that total by $10 billion.
On Monday (May 16), more than 750 NYC elementary schools participated in Plastic Free Lunch Day, started by students to eliminate all single-use plastics from cafeterias. If you want to help reduce plastic waste in your district, contact Cafeteria Culture.
The White House takes a stand on health.
The White House will host a conference on hunger, nutrition and health this September with the goal of “ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.”
Events, Happenings and Opportunities
Life Time Foundation is hiring an Executive Director based in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Napa Valley USD Culinary Operations Specialist
Have other national events or grant opportunities you'd like us to highlight? Let us know.
We hope you enjoyed Healthy + Happy. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or thoughts.
Sincerely,
The Life Time Foundation Team