About Us WELLNESS in the SCHOOLS Healthy Bodies • Healthy Minds
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about us WELLNESS IN THE SCHOOLS healthy bodies • healthy minds Wellness in the Schools (WITS) inspires healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness as a way of life for kids in public schools. Through meaningful public/private partnerships with school leadership, teachers, chefs, coaches, parents and kids, WITS develops and implements programs that provide healthy foods, healthy environments and opportunities for regular play to help kids learn and grow. WITS programs serve approximately 30,000 public school children across New York City, Kentucky and Florida. In NYC, 1 in 5 kindergarteners is obese. cook for kids In partnership with local departments of education, WITS operates the Cook for Kids programs in public school cafeterias and classrooms to promote healthy eating and combat childhood obesity. WITS trains culinary school graduates, who partner with cafeteria staff to prepare daily scratch-cooked meals and educate families about the importance of eating healthy food. Through our WITS Labs and WITS BITS, a series of seasonal cooking and nutrition classes, WITS Cooks also teach children and their families how to prepare healthy, delicious, and affordable recipes using whole, unprocessed foods. As a member of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools planning team, WITS recognizes the importance of engaging the culinary community and partners with local chefs and restaurants to lead special events, act as wellness ambassadors and inspire students. Children need 60 minutes of exercise a day to stay healthy, but most get less than 25 minutes a week. coach for kids The Coach for Kids program brings trained coaches onto public school recess yards to encourage even the least active children to engage in fun and healthy physical activities. Coach for Kids actively combats schoolyard bullying by building positive social skills through play and fosters a sense of excitement around fitness. Despite CDC recommendations that children participate in at least 60 minutes of activity each day to stay healthy, many public schools have severely reduced opportunities for students to exercise. Coach for Kids helps students come closer to meeting the CDC’s activity benchmark by focusing recess time on games and engaging exercises. Childhood diseases of environmental origin cost americans $54.9 billion annually. green for kids The Green for Kids program works in partnership with local agencies and non-profit organizations focused on creating healthy and sustainable environments for public schools. Green for Kids was the WITS founding program, originally launched in partnership with the New York City Department of Education to remove toxic chemicals from schools, and later incorporated into an organizational ethos after the city passed legislation protecting schoolchildren from toxic chemical use. Through Green for Kids, WITS promotes the use of bio-based, effective cleaning products that are not harmful to children or the environment. Additionally, WITS supports school efforts to become more sustainable through energy reduction, garden building, recycling, and composting programs. learn more at www.wellnessintheschools.org about us WELLNESS IN THE SCHOOLS healthy bodies • healthy minds Executive Leadership nancy e. easton Founder and Executive Director Nancy E. Easton is the founder and Executive Director of Wellness in the Schools (WITS), a New York City public school parent, educator, and health coach. Nancy has worked for the NYC Department of Education since 1993, serving as a teacher, a teacher/mentor and ultimately a principal. She was a partner of The Learning Project (TLP), a nonprofit organization that designs and manages schools. She earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, her Master's Degree from Bank Street College of Education, and her Administration and Supervision certification from City College and Fordham University. Nancy is also a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is a founding board member of Girls on the Run Manhattan, a nonprofit organization that uses the power of running to change the way girls see themselves and their opportunities. She also serves on the board of Friends of Princeton Track and the Samara Fund. Nancy is a competitive athlete, having completed several marathons and triathlons, including the Ironman distance triathlon. Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and three children, who attend Public School 333. chef bill telepan Executive Chef After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Bill furthered his formal education at some of the world's top kitchens. He apprenticed with the legendary Alain Chapel at his eponymous restaurant, a Michelin three-star in a small town outside Lyons, trained with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque, Gilbert Le Coze at Le Bernardin, and spent four years as the executive chef at Gotham Bar & Grill with Alfred Portale. Bill has also written a book entitled Inspired by Ingredients (Simon and Shuster) to present his unique cooking style and most popular recipes. He serves on the Chef's Advisory Board of the Institute of Culinary Education and City Harvest's Restaurant Board. In 2005, he opened his acclaimed restaurant 'Telepan' on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and in Fall 2014 opened his second venture, Telepan Local, in Tribeca. Bill lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and daughter, whose school food experiences inspired him to join WITS in revolutionizing the public school cafeteria experience. learn more at www.wellnessintheschools.org.