BACKGROUND School‐based interventions hold promise for child obesity prevention. Implemented as a part of the Winning With Wellness obesity prevention project, the “Go Slow Whoa” meal pattern (GSW) was designed to promote healthier foods in school cafeterias. This investigation determined perceived program effectiveness and impact on student's food purchases. METHODS A mixed method design was used, including focus groups with cafeteria staff (CS), quantitative analysis of CS and teacher surveys, and pre‐post analysis of cafeteria sales. A total of 37 CS and 131 teachers from 7 schools in northeast Tennessee participated. RESULTS CS recognized the important role of school nutrition services in influencing student choices, yet perceived lack of administrative support for cafeteria‐based interventions and minimal interaction with teachers were barriers. CS also believed that students choose less nutritious options due to family influence. Cafeteria sales indicated that changes were made in menu planning and production, yet students' choices improved minimally. Teachers expressed moderate levels of confidence in GSW as influential in children's dietary habits. CONCLUSIONS Successful implementation of school‐based nutrition programs requires supportive policies, administrators, and teachers. CS should be included in program implementation efforts and the role of school nutrition services should be maximized.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The goal of this paper is to describe the relationship between a non-governmental organisation and the government. The paper is a case study of the non-governmental organization Meta o.p.s. which works in the field of integrating foreigners and focuses on the issue of educating pupils who speak various mother tongues. The paper deals with the development of relationships, the roles within these relationships the organization fulfils with regards to the government, and the influence these relationships with the government have on the organization's goals and development. Furthermore, the paper focuses on the persisting barriers which prevent these relationships from being created and developed. The relationships between Meta o.p.s. and the government are observed on individual levels of the public administration (national, regional, municipal). The paper consists of 4 parts. The theoretical part introduces basic theoretical starting points, namely models of relationships between the government and non-governmental organizations, and the roles fulfilled by non-governmental organizations in the society. The next part presents the methodology and chosen strategy of the research, i.e. case study. The empirical part monitors the development and nature of the relationships on individual levels of the public...