Making Healthy Choices

Summer time means warm weather, sunny days, and lots of outdoor time! At Horizons, we work to build healthy minds and healthy bodies so we make sure to include time every day for our students to be physically active and provide nutritious meals and snacks.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800)877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at: How to File a Complaint, from any USDA office, by calling (866)632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

Fax: (202) 690-7442

Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

Healthy Food

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, nearly 1/4 of our state's children experience food insecurity. In the summer, children and families can no longer rely on consistent breakfast and lunch from school. Paired with increased inactivity during the summer months, these factors are a recipe for poor health and nutrition that can impact a child for many years. Additionally, the neighborhood that Horizons serves is classified as a food desert which means that the only access families have to fresh, healthy food is several miles away and not easily accessible without reliable transportation. The barriers to nutritious food are abundant for many of our families. 

Horizons works in partnership with the Summer Food Servings Program to provide healthy, nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snacks to our students all summer long. You know the old saying that the way to someone's heart is through their stomach? We believe that when a child has access to good food every day, then s/he will thrive both physically and mentally! 

Additionally, our students work in the local garden and collect fresh eggs from our school chickens to help educate about where food comes from and to encourage them to explore different foods that they may have never experienced before! 

Exercise

Physical activity is an important part of every day at Horizons. Here are the many ways we incorporate exercise into our day: 

  • Swim lessons/free swim at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) three times per week

  • Thirty minutes of recess

  • Organized sports, including soccer, tennis and basketball

  • Outdoor field trips to local gardens, parks and other locations that promote active lifestyles

  • Programming focused on nutrition education and healthy eating habits

After summer, 89% of our students report that Horizons has taught them to be more physically active. We hope that the habits our students form through the summer will carry over during the school year and inspire a lifetime of healthy habits!