Somerville Kids Invited to White House

Somerville kids from the Healey School will be heading to the White House on Thursday to help first lady Michelle Obama plant the White House Kitchen Garden.

According to an announcement from Somerville Public Schools, five students from the Healey School will join students from Florida, Tennessee, Washington D.C. and Vermont at the White House to work on the garden, which Mrs. Obama first planted on the South Lawn five years ago.

The garden helped contribute to a national conversation about healthy eating, and it ultimately evolved into the first lady's Let's Move! campaign designed to tackle the problem of childhood obesity, according to the announcement.

"This year, Mrs. Obama invited children from schools that have made exceptional improvements to school lunches through implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act," the announcement says.

The Healey School was invited due to Somerville's work to promote healthy eating, and the announcement mention's the Healey Garden, which the school uses to host gardening days throughout the year, and the district's farm to school program, corn shucking day and nutrition education, among other things.