Wellness in the Schools

WITS Board Member Maya Feller MS, RD,CDN shares her insights with Newsweek on why nutritious school lunches are important for our children. "School mealtime can level the playing field and create community around mealtimes. Everyone has the same offerings and for a moment social hierarchy is removed." We also know that a nutritious, filling lunch contributes to better test scores, concentration, memory, attendance, and overall behavior in school. Wellness in the Schools teaches public school students healthy habits to learn, live, and thrive, with the vision to ensure access to nourishing food and active play in public schools. Support our work and advocate for the youngest generation in your community. https://lnkd.in/exDmtEDP

Join us at our SPRING DINNER on Wednesday, May 29th at Pier 57! 🍎 There is one chance only to taste the plant-based menu of your dreams from Chef Bill Telepan & Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja and appetizers by Egunsi Foods & Sakara Life at the special Platform by JBF (The James Beard Foundation) space. Support an amazing organization and get your tickets before they sell out at: https://lnkd.in/eEVHUGXc

We love to say, "People talking to people is how change happens." Thank you so much Action for Healthy Kids for having us at the Healthy Meals Incentives Summit this week! WITS Chef/Program Manager Cait Olesky demonstrated a WITS BIT nutrition education lesson and talked with participants, most of whom were school food leaders from small and/or rural districts. We're excited to see all of the connections and changes coming out of this wonderful summit! Congratulations to all speakers and event organizers. #HMISpringSummit @Action for Healthy Kids

What do we want for our children? Some combination of joy, resilience, health, kindness, safety, and purpose. Yesterday, The Harkin Institute, with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and CDC's Dr. Kathleen Ethier, shared that we must prioritize upstream prevention, now, if we are to overcome the mental health crisis and develop thriving youth. Incredible to join a team of panelists bringing prevention to thousands of schools, in order from the picture :) me (Inner Explorer), Nancy Easton (Wellness in Schools), Priya Cook (Children & Nature Network), Dr. Gerta Bardoshi (UI Center for School Mental Health), Kaitlyn Scheuermann, MPP-D, RDN, LD (Waukee School Gardens), and @Dr. Bengu Erguner-Tekinalp (Drake University). #HarkinonWellness #Dailymindfulness #WholeHealthEducation

Tickets are now live for our Spring Dinner! Mark your calendars for May 29th at Pier 57 in NYC. Join Wellness in the Schools for a delicious, seasonal plant-based dinner from NYC's best:  Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shuka/Shukette Chef Bill Telepan of Bon Appetit Mangement With appetizers from NYC Chef Council Members:  'Yemisi (Eunice) Awosan of Egunsi Foods Chef Tyler Ranson of Sakara Life And, hosted by Chef Grace Ramirez! Tickets here: https://lnkd.in/eEVHUGXc

I spoke yesterday at the 2024 Harkin on Wellness Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, joining talented advocates, policymakers, and education leaders to talk about Whole Health Education in Schools. Wellness in the Schools teaches public school students healthy habits to learn, live, and thrive and we are proud to be a part of this conversation. Thank you fellow panelists Laura Bakosh (Inner Explorer), Priya Cook (Children & Nature Network), Dr. Gerta Bardoshi (UI Center for School Mental Health), Kaitlyn Scheuermann, MPP-D, RDN, LD (Waukee School Gardens), and Dr. Bengu Erguner-Tekinalp (Drake University) for a great conversation. The day was complete with a Fireside Chat with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and a Keynote Speech with Dr. Kathy Either, Director of the CDC's Adolescent and School Health Division. With The Harkin Institute #HarkinonWellness #WellnessintheSchools #Leadership #WholeHealthEducation

Now that the Month of Giving has concluded, I'm excited to share that my two stores have raised an impressive $16,600, including contributions from Wednesday's Day of Giving for Wellness in the Schools This Day of Giving holds a special place in my heart as it marks my first as an owner. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together, and my goal every year is to surpass our previous fundraising efforts. Our support for this cause is crucial, given the challenges children face with health and nutrition. Wellness in the Schools actively addresses issues like childhood diabetes and food insecurity by promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity. I want to give a big shoutout to my incredible staff, especially Michelle and Kathy, our managers. Their hard work and dedication leading up to the special day, as well as their efforts throughout the month, have been instrumental in our success. Thank you to everyone who contributed and supported our efforts! Brian T. Jones

Thank you to franchisees of select stores across the New York City boroughs for supporting Wellness in the Schools on this Day of Giving from Jersey Mike's Subs!

Thank you Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc. for donating the fresh, nutritious ingredients for our WITS Labs so we can #feedkidsrealfood ❤️ Students at PS 132M enjoyed our Jollof Cauliflower Lab with WITS Lab Instructor Victoria! Jollof sauce, a West African dish, is a new recipe on the NYC public school lunch menu thanks to our Chefs in the Schools initiative. The recipe has cauliflower, red bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, and many spices and herbs like paprika and thyme. It smells good, tastes good, and generates a lot of smiles and excitement from these young scholars who are sure to be expert Chefs in no time. 🧑🍳