School Program Puts Peace Into Practice

When 12 students from across Rockland regrouped after a recent conference on peace, their laughter, applause, and friendships created a party-like atmosphere.

The issues they discussed, however, were serious.

From Aug. 20 to Aug. 23, they had joined six other Rockland students, ranging in age from 15 to 17, for the first ever R PEACE conference. The acronym stands for Rockland’s Peaceful and Educational Advocates Changing Environments, an intensive training event leading into a year of community service projects and to the spreading of peace.

R PEACE was developed after James Young, 4-H youth development coordinator for Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension Rockland, learned of a curriculum by Paul Kivel, a peace activist and writer, designed to encourage nonviolence and tolerance among youth…

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

To Anyone Visiting the Aspen Area:

Come visit the Hallam Lake Nature Preserve in downtown Aspen. A great opportunity to learn about local ecology, geology, and history! A non-profit organization, open 9-5 Mon-Sat dedicated to educating people about western Colorado’s fabulous nature! www.aspennature.org

Documentary Binge

Hello friends and fellow allies. My name is Jenn and I am from Vancouver BC. This is my first attempt at posting a blog (yes, I AM new to this whole blog thing!), and I feel I have found the perfect first posting. It is something I wrote just a few weeks ago after a “documentary binge”. I welcome and ask for your thoughts, opinions and contributions. As a young student I am still seeking to improve my communication skills and thus I also invite technical feedback on how you think I can improve my informal writings. This piece in particular is what I would call personal ramblings, but even in personal writing there is room for growth. So without further ado here is my first blog post of personal ramblings…

I just finished a two day documentary marathon. I watched three documentary films entitled Jesus Camp, Paper Clips and Radiant City (2 of three I have posted to my Rethos profile). These documentaries solidified my belief that I must act and that I must act immediately. Moreover, in the last few months (and also throughout my lifetime) I have also watched a slew of Hollywood blockbusters, ( such as V for Vendetta, Pulp Fiction, Accepted, Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda, 300, An Inconvenient Truth, Spy Game, among many others), that I believe pointedly, although dramatically, serve to reflect the state of our global society.

Through these films I have been able to extract information – via their themes and messages – that leads me to believe two key things: 1. history can and will repeat itself in passive societies, and, 2. the only way to counteract a passive society is to mobilize it. While some may not initially agree, I do believe that it is our responsibility as liberated, democratic, free citizens to enact a movement to actualize the changes which will allow us to function as a transparent, sustainable global society. As an analogy, I suggest that it is time we merge from the fast lane of no-limits progress into the “slow lane” of forethought, sustainability, science and information. Essentially, we as a greater global society need to put the breaks on long enough to pause, reflect and change course. Regardless of acceptance of these ideas, I personally believe that a new age, a new way of living will impose itself on us as humans as we enter an era of resource scarcity – realizing this and deciding to act is how you too can enter the “slow lane”.

Another realization I’ve had is that we are living in a world of extremes. Through our collective passivity and consumerist lifestyles, we are continually propagating these extremes. Everyday, the contrast between rich and poor, privileged and under-privileged, educated and uneducated becomes sharper, clearer and more tangible, while the division between church and state, private and public becomes oppositely and equally more obscure. Therefore, I believe one of the only paths to change left is to attempt to temper our extremes (foot off the gas, onto the break, signal on, merge right (figuratively, not politically!). By doing this, we will begin to clarify the ever so important independence of our governments from big-business and religion.

How do we do this though, is the question. I believe we do this by acting and acting in a collective, cohesive, goal oriented direction. The direction should be forward, towards a sustainable, socialist and information based society, with a course mapped by science and momentum driven by citizens, consumers and voters empowering themselves to act, non-violently and transparently towards goals of resorting balance in all arenas of life. By identifying the social problems, fallacies and misinformations that have lead to our current state of existing, the countering each of those problems with equal and opposite reactions to the problem’s root causes we increase the probability of achieving the greater goal of positive societal progression. By addressing root causes we slowly, and naturally stop the cycles which are perpetuating said problems, and thereby begin change. I hate to sound apocalyptic, but I do believe that without intervention, the probability of societal collapse is inevitable (this according to theories from comparative civilizations studies and general chaos theory).I for one refuse to stay passive and I will choose to engage myself in every arena. Even if my dreams are never actualized, I will have the peace of mind afforded by the knowledge that I tried.

Furthermore, the more I educate myself, the more I feel as if I am successfully breaking down the lifetime of conditioning and excuses that I have lived and propagated in my daily life to feel better about doing nothing. The more I know the more I want to change. It is time for someone to stand up for the principals of democracy, the true meaning of freedom of information and assume responsibility for the for the effects of a damaged capitalist system. We may not have purposefully created any of these problems, but we are allowing them not only to continue, but to mutate exponentially by accepting, excusing and generally being passive in our consumption and involvement in the political process. I am committing to act and I invite you to join me.

"Religious Education"

Philip Beadle laments the ongoing attempts to infiltrate our schools further with religious doctrine, and also the sad state of UK law in that regard.

This is a subject I feel very passionate about, and I feel that the human race has now advanced sufficiently far in our understanding of the universe that we should be collectively shaking off our habitual Medieval dogma (and those of others).

Tony Blair was all for “faith schools” (an oxymoron in itself), and gleefully partnered up with Reg Vardy to create these horrifying “City Academies” – institutions that attempt to teach young people that there are no conflicts between the observable, verifiable physical phenomena we see in the world, and the nature of existence as spoken about in the Bible. The religious apologetics produced by this system (and shielded from reality by laws affecting other, state-funded schools) are at the forefront of a new “drive” to get religion out of RE classes and into the science class. I cannot simply stand by and allow this to happen – our young people are becoming “dumbed-down” and taught to ignore facts in favour of “revelation”.

Britain used to be at the forefront of scientific discovery and achievement. We now seem to be losing pace almost as fast as the USA, and for exactly the same reasons.

I propose that we:

1. Campaign for something similar to the American “Establishment Clause”, that we might prevent taxpayer money being used any longer to support religious indoctrination of children;

2. Campaign to remove the legal requirement for state-funded schools a). to hold daily prayers, and b). to promote (rather than objectively discuss and analyse, as should be) the Judeo-Christian religious doctrine.

Thoughts and comments are very welcome – let’s get this discussion going!

Elf

From iPhones to Education

The iPod, the iPhone, people love them because they’re user-friendly; we intuitively know how to use them. Somehow these devices complement our physiology. They are in-tune with our brain and body’s functioning. We hate things that are hard to use, things that don’t quite fit with our natural actions. Why, why, why then, is our educational system so damned counterintuitive?

Humans are born with an innate capacity to learn, its pretty much the whole reason our cortex is the way is. It changes itself in response to new information and experiences, it searches for patterns and correlations, it creates theories from these patterns and tries to support them or formulate new ones. Yet, our schools take a paradoxical approach to learning. They insist on…well schooling you. You will remember the seven principles of some subject accumulated by some guy in some book, then you will write these principles down to my liking, and tada you are a learned human being. Rote memorization has never done much for anyone and never will. Moreover, it does little for the development of the cortex, because no integral experience has occurred, at least not in the realm of the subject to be learned.

Consider babies and toddlers. They work much like little scientists, forming theories of this and that, some enduring, some changing. Children are naturally curious, you don’t have to make them want to learn, they just go out and do it. They love science, with its hidden mechanisms and murky principles. Humans are born with the desire to explore, inquire, and reason. But our schools don’t cultivate this desire. Much like language, if it isn’t fostered properly, it becomes infinitely more difficult to master, if not impossible. From an early age this innate drive is driven out. Taking its place are obedience and conformity. Children are reprimanded more severely for being tardy, than for making a C. This is not how human beings are designed to develop, we are not meant to be temporary storehouses of useless data. This isn’t development, this is deterioration. Where is the skepticism, the reasoning, the critical thinking? Where is the enrichment from a sense of efficacy, of self-reliance and self-discovery?

Oh, I think they try and do that in college… As a graduate student you have someone to guide you, but, for the most part, you are out there on your own, discovering and experiencing for yourself, changing yourself to advance your knowledge. There is no other way to teach advanced science. Not only that, this is how the self is defined. There is no other way to progress and mature as a human being, but to do it in one’s own way. Many people say, it’s not what you learn in college but the experience. @%#% right it’s the experience. That is what’s demarcating the ideas and theories you’re now much more aware of.

But does this have to be on hold for nearly twelve years, for others longer? The educational process from the very beginning should instill these foundations for higher learning and reasoning. The process should be a series of projects carried out by students, who are left to explore what they feel needs exploring. If proper techniques are used from the start, there is no reason this shouldn’t be the case. A semi-structured environment that allows free association and engenders a sense of self-reliance and worth, is the only way to produce the most capable citizenry possible. But, it would be a very dangerous citizenry indeed… at least for the extremely small section of society that is empowered and privileged, the section that has a great stake in maintaining a conformed and passive populace, and for this reason, because those with the most direct power to effect meaningful change benefit from no change, we will not see, as long as they maintain this power, the realization of man’s true potential.

“But now, with a most inhuman cruelty, they who have put out the people’s eyes, reproach them of their blindness.” -John Milton-

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

When most children in Canada turn 12, they’re busy attending school, spending time with their friends and family, and playing pick-up games of soccer or street hockey. But these seemingly ordinary childhood activities are not options given to many children living in conflict zones around the world.

A Long Way Gone is Beah’s story of a childhood lost during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Written in his own words, it recounts how he survived what many would find hard to even imagine. Fleeing his village to escape rebel attacks, being coerced into joining the conflict, and being forced to commit heinous acts of violence. This was Beah’s life for over three years until UNICEF put him into a child soldier rehabilitation program and gave him a chance to start making sense of his experience.

Beah’s heartbreaking honesty and incredible insight combine to provide a powerful memoir and message.

Stories like Beah’s keep War Child Canada working hard to support children and families affected by conflict. We know first hand that for children, living in a war zone can have a devastating effect. Our programs provide children and youth with the opportunity to grow to their full potential through education, skills training, trauma healing and the opportunity to take an active role in the reconstruction of their communities.

For more information on War Child Canada’s Former Child Soldier Rehabilitation Project in Sierra Leone, click here.

More detailed information about child soldiers can be found on the following websites:

Child Soldiers http://www.child-soldiers.org

Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/children

To find out how you can hear Beah share his story in-person at a number of Canadian appearances visit: http://www.douglas-mcintyre.com/feature.asp?f=94

To download a podcast of a recent radio interview with Ishmael Beah visit: http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_070327k.cfm

Seed funding for social entrepreneurs

Visionaries Wanted!

• Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country, or world? • Are you an entrepreneur who won’t rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?

If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.

Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Teach For America, City Year, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 3, 2007.

Watch the video: http://www.echoinggreen.org/video Find out whether you qualify: http://www.echoinggreen.org/shouldyouapply Apply online: https://apply.echoinggreen.org Questions? Contact us at apply@echoinggreen.org.

Making School a Sanctuary

Violence rose last year in a third of Chicago schools, a Catalyst Chicago analysis finds. Mikva Challenge students and others say the district needs strategies to head off conflict, not more metal detectors and security guards.

by Sarah Karp October, 2007

The Last Dropout

I enjoyed my time volunteering in classrooms when my children were younger. There are some truly amazing people on this planet and many of them are teachers right in our own back yards. I recently watched the movie “Freedom Writers,” an inspiring and uplifting true story of just how many lives one good teacher can forever change. Is there something more I could do? And along comes a clue:

“Bill Milliken’s book The Last Dropout is proof that visionaries like him see the full potential in our children. These are the visionaries and leaders of our future and of our civilizations. If you want to make a difference in the world, read this book.”-Deepak Chopra, M.D.

http://thelastdropout.com/

(reading NOW)

Deb

University of Delaware Cancels Co-Curricular Citizenship Education after Conservative Front Group Criticism

A movement among Student Affairs professionals nationally to create co-curricular (i.e., “out-of-class” educational opportunities, programs and discussions in the residence halls has been dealt a big blow recently, as the University of Delaware’s Residence Life department has been ordered to cease its efforts to teach citizenship toward resident students through co-curricular experiences in the Residence Halls.

The cancellation comes after the University received complaints and criticism from neo-conservative front group FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) that these efforts amount to unconstitutional “indoctrination.”

Efforts like these need to be labeled for what they are—neo-fascism. They wrap their arguments in inflammatory language and Orwellian arguments that turn any programs without a conservative viewpoint into assaults on basic freedoms of expression and conscience.

This type of bullying of institutions of higher education has become more common, as conservatives try to re-frame public conversations about respect, responsibility, civility and issues of conscience. They manipulate through bullying and fear-mongering.

All persons of conscience should look into these issues and insist that it is appropriate for education professionals to continue their efforts to expose people to different viewpoints and to further public discussions about respect, responsiblity, and civility.

Please read the following articles/links to get a better understanding of the issues.

Initial letter to the president:

http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8547.html?PHPSESSID=c97c548cf816d18b90e4328500522738

Press Release:

http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8555.html?PHPSESSID=e1729754a846ca90a38442142927a114

Response from the VP of Student Affairs: http://www.udel.edu/PR/response/

Response to the VP’s letter: http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8577.html?PHPSESSID=e1729754a846ca90a38442142927a114

President’s response: http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8585.html?PHPSESSID=a643492e5cdf1e36e54ed262b373d67e

It is my understanding from a colleague that white supremacist groups have been calling the residence life operation and student affairs and making threatening statements. The University of Delaware has suspended its program, which was a model program for co-curricular learning.

Please, help those interested in keeping conversations like this alive on campuses throughout the nation, by bringing this to the attention of their communities. Also, I think it would be great if people could send messages of support to their Residence Life and Student Affairs staff, as well as letters to their President, asking that he not give in to this bullying.

A critical essay in reply to Ian Wooden's article re: Inequality and Capitalism

RE: http://www.rethos.com/news/view/309-Capitalism-and-Inequality-If-Only-Time-Could-Tell-

I have a number of problems with this article.

The author’s central thesis is apparently that “inequality” is a global problem that cannot be met with a single solution and that no solution(s) have apparently been found and therefore since this heretofore unattainable panacea is currently unavailable, the author proposes to brainstorm for possible solutions and to speculate as to what state we would find ourselves in if “we tackle[d] the topic of creating a more level playing field.” Then he utterly fails to do as he proposes.

I would point out that “tackling a topic” is a lot different than tackling a problem especially that of “inequality”. Inequality takes many forms in our societies. Some of them are organic (Weight, height etc.) Some are geographic (The residents of Kansas City, Missouri are no doubt unequal in surfing opportunities to their counterparts in say La Jolla, California.) Still others are socio-economic such as race, class, poverty, opportunity, literacy, health and welfare to name a few.

If the author purports to speculate as to a vision of the world where the “problem” of these latter inequalities is met by efforts to solve them, then he not only fails to do so in this piece, he fails to recognize that mankind has sought solutions for such inequalities for centuries arguably with very poor results.

Next we are invited to consider that capitalism is perhaps not the sole cause of poverty. Does the author now equate “inequality” with “poverty”? If so, then his conjecture is by definition erroneous. He then speculates that perhaps it is educational systems that create poverty. How they create poverty, he does not address.

Next we are treated to a bit of historical criticism and as readers we are chastised for viewing the “essence” of capitalism by looking at the polar extremities of capitalism and then speculating “on these elements”. What is the end result of this speculation which affords us this “wrong light”? The author never tells us but does next assert that “the rich suppress the poor for their own personal gain”. Does the author agree with this assertion or rather is this an example of the “wrong light” we have been told to expect in previous sentences? We are afforded a clue in his next utterance wherein this “suppression” is considered to be possibly true in the past but is not ‘sustainable”.

With a bit of judicious editing, lets assume that the author means to say that the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy has some true historical antecedents but cannot survive the present day “corporate world” (or at least tomorrow’s corporate world). How this modern day corporate model with its “seek talent” mandate will somehow embrace the illiterate masses of oppressed and impoverished peoples everywhere is conveniently omitted.

Next we get: “Truly smart leaders realize that the only way to grow ones (sic) business and become successful is to make sure that your people are successful too (sic). With proliferation of competition in the business world, people have choices (though it may not always seem that way). If you take advantage of your talent, you will quickly find them scrambling out the door.”

I can only speculate that the point here is that since there is competition, inequality will be worked out naturally by market forces. This is a philosophy of capitalism first proffered by Adam Smith who wrote of an “invisible hand” as the great equalizer. To his credit, Mr. Smith recognized that market equilibrium can only be found where the participants come to the table on an equal footing. For the last century or so, exploitative capitalists have borrowed the nomenclature of Mr. Smith with none of the substance. This author appears poised to do the same.

Finally, as an apparent exit strategy, the author seeks refuge in the time honored truism that equality of education is a corner stone of potential future socio-economic equality. How his reasoning and argument have brought us to this well heeled conclusion is anybody’s guess. Ironically, his parting shot is a cry for patience (one presumes with the status quo) and to ask us to appreciate what we have (or in other words, what the other guy doesn’t have.)

All in all the thesis presented is poorly constructed, argued, and articulated and hardly constitutes a stirring call to reform the wretched inequalities of the world which maim, kill and leave in perpetual agonizing despair, so many millions of our sisters and brothers and children around the world.

Free comprehensive care for HIV treatment must be provided to Nigerians

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders calls for increased commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

On the occasion of this year’s World AIDS Day on December 1, the international medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) calls for increased commitment from all health care providers in Nigeria to provide comprehensive care to HIV/AIDS patients. While the government’s response to the pandemic has improved since it started providing free drug treatment nationwide in 2006, the level of medical services available and accessible by people living with HIV/AIDS is still dramatically inadequate. The Nigerian Ministry of Health should also improve their leadership in order to provide wider and more adequate treatment solutions.

Full article: http://www.msf.ca/en/news/newsreleases/2007/113007_wadnigeria.html

A gap in MBA education

According to Beyond Grey Stripes, many MBA programs require inclusion of discussion about environmental and social justice issues, yet they lack the instruction on how business can address the problems.

Also noted, issues of justice seem more important in marketing than CSR and ethics concentrations. Kind of a misfit huh?

Check out beyond grey stripes for more information.

http://www.beyondgreypinstripes.org/rankings/trends.cfm

"For Yubaraj"

In May 2006, Yahoo! Hot Zone journalist Kevin Sites wrote about Yubaraj Khadka, a Nepalese boy who had been supporting his family by parking motorcycles on the streets of Kathmandu. Many people who read about Yubaraj wanted to find a way to enroll him in school, to reward him for working so hard and to give him the means to build a better life.

A Lack of Education

I know too many people that know nothing about the world. They lead simple lives and are happy just existing. Recently, my issue of passion is to spread the message, that there is more to life than just existing....life can be full of freedom and happiness....and it all starts with education. No one knows where to look. It is too hard to find the real answers and the real truth, whatever it may be. All I hope to do is show people that the truth is what we make it. Happiness is what we make it. Life is what we make it.

Can You Picture Sustainability?

What comes to mind when you picture conservation? Migratory birds nesting in the shade canopy of a coffee farm? A red-eyed tree frog in the rainforest? The Rainforest Alliance invites shutterbugs to enter photos that are illustrative of our conservation work in agriculture, forestry and tourism in the first "Picture Sustainability" photo contest. One grand prize winner will receive a package including a seven-day trip to the Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Via Natura, AeroGal, Hotel Oro Verde and GreenSpot, as well as a high-quality Fuji digital camera and a four-day trip to New York City to attend the Rainforest Alliance's annual gala and take a 'sustainability tour' of the city. Five first-prize winners will take home a Fuji digital camera and a book of Art Wolfe photography, courtesy of Fujifilm USA and Art Wolfe. Submission deadline is March 15, 2008.

Education & Violence

                 I never expected my night to end like this, I thought to myself as I zipped up my jeans and could feel the flood of emotions behind my eyelids as I built the will to hold back my tears. The sun was beginning to rise and I could here birds outside the window.  They never sounded so loud but far away from the world I knew.   I think to myself, “I will not be a victim.  No.  Not me.”  I contemplated calling the police as the mess from 5 different men poured onto my legs.  Do I want to change my name to “the girl that got gang raped?”   How could I walk through my college campus with this title?  Beneath the anger I could feel a little girl’s deep sadness…I just want to be known as the free-spirited soulful college girl.  I worked my whole life to be independent and strong…now I would be labeled a victim in the whispers of my friends and classmates yet to my face they would say, “you are so brave and so strong.”    

This is the story of a college girl raped by a group of fraternity boys. Her name anonomous.  The story goes like this...one of the boys knocked on her door and when she opened the door…he pushed his way in…she knew him vaguely from a party and saw him at the bar that evening.  After she asked him to leave, he became aggressive.  Four more guys entered through the door taunting her.  She had gotten home late from the pub and she left her friend at the street corner.  It was this vulnerability that led these men to follow her and eventually have their way with her.  “Gang Rape”.  It is most known to happen on college campuses with alcohol involved.  Many of the victims never report the incident and many of the offenders never consider it rape.  

Now with the recent technology of cell phone videos…more live footage of actual rapes are visually surfacing on You Tube and as proof to the incidents.   Although it’s a disturbing topic, the amount of violence that is reported each day has me baffled.  Teachers being beat, guns fired during road rage, and most recent in my own neighborhood…a shooting inside a movie theater because the man could not get a refund on his movie tickets.  I’m sad about the state of affairs.  It seems that so many people are about to pop from an undercurrent of rage. People that are unable to deal properly with their emotions…their anger...and they resort to expressing their power in the form of a gun, or violence or sexual assault and rape.  Living in fear is not really living either.   Where do we go from here?

More then anything it’s important to educate our youth.  Education and information is our best weapon…not fear.  With regards to Sexual Assault, here are the reported stats by RAINN.org

•    1 out of every 6 American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).

•    About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33  — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

•    Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

•    93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker.

Those that have been exposed:
3 times more likely to suffer from depression, 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

•    60% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Those rapists, of course, never spend a day in prison according to a statistical average of the past 5 years. Factoring in unreported rapes, only about 6% of rapists ever serve a day in jail.

•    More than 50% of all rape/sexual assault incidents were reported by victims to have occurred within 1 mile of their home or at their home.


It’s our responsibility to get informed and inform our children/youth.  Talk about boundaries with alcohol and sex.  Make sure that teenagers understand how to set their own boundaries (this is comfortable, this is uncomfortable).  It is our responsibility to invest more into teaching the young how to properly deal with their emotions and their hormones…even though we, as adults, are still trying to master the subject.  Education is Power.  Boundaries are healthy.  Learn them, teach them, and practice them and you will find yourself and your loved ones in less dangerous situations...and more in control of your life.

The effects of the above situation on this particular woman took on the form of guilt and self-dislike…and to this day, she never fully recovered from the incident.  She also did not tell anyone at the time that it happened…she blamed herself.  To become more responsible with alcohol and the buddy system in college is one of the most important aspects of a safe college life and any of us armed with information have a responsibility to share it with the younger ones in our life.

 

Wellness in the Schools Benefit Party

Come to the Inaugural Benefit of Wellness in the Schools.  Learn about the work we are doing in public schools. Enjoy drinks, appetizers a green auction and lots of fun.  COst is $100.00. For more information go to: wellnessintheschools.org

"Do You Want This Program? " - 'When Enough is Plenty"

"Not your average lunch lady" - Matthew Aquilone

I’m a public school kid, a “Cement Baby,” Brooklyn born and raised.  I was a late comer to school lunch though, always being sent off with a brown bag or more likely running home for lunch since I lived close to my school, could see it in fact from my bedroom window. It was that kind of neighborhood, a thorough network of moms, friends, front stoops and kitchen tables.  As my brothers and I became more independent my mother started working full time and there were no more lunches at home.  My parents then enrolled us in the hot lunch program.

 

I remember it as a pretty emotional event.  Gone were the comfort and security of mom and home and homemade meals.  Replacing it was hair netted lunch ladies ladling barely recognizable substances onto plastic trays accompanied by miniscule cartons of milk.  The lunchroom was a loud chaotic place, one I had not really experienced.  Strange smells a nd faces, a phalanx of teachers, parent chaperones and our drill sergeant vice principal keeping the hundreds of kids at their tables in relative order.  Of course for some if not most of my classmates the lunchroom was a very familiar place.  It was where they ate most of their meals.  A large segment of the student body were part of the free breakfast program as well as lunch.  In general this enrollment divided itself among racial and economic lines.  I didn’t give much thought to it back then but most of my classmates relied on the school not just for their education, but for the bulk of their nutrition and their very survival as well.

 

Of course by now we have come a long way from Salisbury steaks and what could nominally be identified as peas and carrots that were served up in my youth.  Food consciousness has risen to one of the most important issues both globally and locally.  It is a matter that has economic, environmental, and technological as well as spiritual implications.  A good friend of mine, Nancy Easton, an educator and mother here in NYC, has created a program called Wellness in the Schools that directly addresses the connection between nutrition and education.  Pamela Enz sat down with her to find out more about it.

 

 

                                 “ Do You Want This Program?”

                                        ‘ When Enough is Plenty” - Pamela Enz

 

               Much like two of Rethos’ founders, cousins Alex and Pablo Salzman, Nancy Easton is an example of a youthful passion successfully transformed into adult action.  A fellow Princeton alumnus she is co-creator of WITS: Wellness in the Schools, in short, a program based on the belief that a mind eager and ready to learn begins with a healthy body.

 

              The foundation of the Salzmans’s success was I believe having a socially conscious, progressive and still active grandma paired with an inborn entrepreneurial bent.  Ms Easton’s familial foundation was her own original “Earth Mother “ mom.  Until her teens whole-wheat cookies and the granola contribution to the school bake sale along with the UGH! compost heap was a great embarrassment.  It wasn’t until entering college that Nancy began to see the world catching up and that her mother’s “eccentricities” contained an embarrassment of riches, spiritual, spirited joys and life lessons.  From a comfortable background she and her siblings were raised knowing that needs would be met, were in fact lucky to be able to taken for granted, but “wants” and certainly excess were not part of the equation.

 

               For Nancy privilege was used to follow her heart and teach. What drove her to public education was I believe, like the Salzmans’s inborn – her love of sports, running in particular, which led to joining the track team.  Dubbed “White Lightning” by her mostly black teammates she observed in dropping them off at public housing projects, the inequities of their lives. 

 

               Combined with her great capacity for nurturing and special insight and love of children it was not a great leap for her to want to do something and figure out how she personally could affect positive change.   

 

    What basic needs must be met for learning to occur? What was needed to equalize educational opportunities for children across the board?,

 

     Working together with Kirsten Brashares and Rachel Tore “Wellness in the Schools” was created to explore these questions.  They concluded that what is essential to learning and every child’s right, is a clean environment, free of damaging chemicals that contribute both to asthmas and sick days, as well as adequate healthy food and exercise without which learning becomes much more challenged.

  

            Some of the programs begun or in the planning stages are cooking and nutrition classes, plus visits to markets and farms.cerun: yes">  They hope next year to have both a Chef-In Residence and Athlete-In Residence at as many schools as possible.  To learn more about all the programs that she and her other cofounders Kirsten Brashares and Rachel Tore have formed and ways you can participate I strongly urge you to visit their website Wellnessintheschools.org 

 

              In the meantime parents and concerned adults should be aware that there have been two pieces of legislation passed, one mandating a Wellness Committee in all schools, and a second guaranteeing a clean environment for all students.

 

               Ms. Easton describes best WITS involvment:

             “Inspired by Governor Pataki’s mandate that all schools in the state of New York convert to green cleaning by September of 2006, we worked to ensure that the mandate was met.  We insisted that the products used in our schools are the least toxic, most efficacious and cost-effective.

               In addition to implementing specific pilot programs, we have introduced Wellness Committees into schools, a mandate introduced in 2007 by Governor Pataki.  These Wellness Committees form the basis of our work, as we assess needs, share information and empower parents to continue to make their schools healthier.”

 

    Ms. Easton also asserts that busy adults caring for growing children can work at home on fostering healthy habits . Most important is to include as much as possible children themselves in shopping and preparing food. She suggests beginning with talking to younger children about balancing their plates using color.  How many are there on their plates? Or create rainbows from a weekly menu, and please if anyone knows let us in on how to avoid the junk food aisles in the supermarket.

 

    Others, more inclined toward cocktails and networking I suggest buying tickets to the upcoming benefit for WITS on May 15^th and supporting this wonderful effort.

 

Not Your Average Lunch Lady

Here's a piece I wrote with Pamela Enz:

I’m a public school kid, a “Cement Baby,” Brooklyn born and raised.  I was a late comer to school lunch though, always being sent off with a brown bag or more likely running home for lunch since I lived close to my school, could see it in fact from my bedroom window. It was that kind of neighborhood, a thorough network of moms, friends, front stoops and kitchen tables.  As my brothers and I became more independent my mother started working full time and there were no more lunches at home.  My parents then enrolled us in the hot lunch program.

 

I remember it as a pretty emotional event.  Gone were the comfort and security of mom and home and homemade meals.  Replacing it was hair netted lunch ladies ladling barely recognizable substances onto plastic trays accompanied by miniscule cartons of milk.  The lunchroom was a loud chaotic place, one I had not really experienced.  Strange smells and faces, a phalanx of teachers, parent chaperones and our drill sergeant vice principal keeping the hundreds of kids at their tables in relative order.  Of course for some if not most of my classmates the lunchroom was a very familiar place.  It was where they ate most of their meals.  A large segment of the student body were part of the free breakfast program as well as lunch.  In general this enrollment divided itself among racial and economic lines.  I didn’t give much thought to it back then but most of my classmates relied on the school not just for their education, but for the bulk of their nutrition and their very survival as well.

 

Of course by now we have come a long way from Salisbury steaks and what could nominally be identified as peas and carrots that were served up in my youth.  Food consciousness has risen to one of the most important issues both globally and locally.  It is a matter that has economic, environmental, and technological as well as spiritual implications.  A good friend of mine, Nancy Easton, an educator and mother here in NYC, has created a program called Wellness in the Schools that directly addresses the connection between nutrition and education.  Pamela Enz sat down with her to find out more about it.

 

 

                                 “ Do You Want This Program?”

                                        ‘ When Enough is Plenty”

 

               Much like two of Rethos’ founders, cousins Alex and Pablo Salzman, Nancy Easton is an example of a youthful passion successfully transformed into adult action.  A fellow Princeton alumnus she is co-creator of WITS: Wellness in the Schools, in short, a program based on the belief that a mind eager and ready to learn begins with a healthy body.

 

              The foundation of the Salzmans’s success was I believe having a socially conscious, progressive and still active grandma paired with an inborn entrepreneurial bent.  Ms Easton’s familial foundation was her own original “Earth Mother “ mom.  Until her teens whole-wheat cookies and the granola contribution to the school bake sale along with the UGH! compost heap was a great embarrassment.  It wasn’t until entering college that Nancy began to see the world catching up and that her mother’s “eccentricities” contained an embarrassment of riches, spiritual, spirited joys and life lessons.  From a comfortable background she and her siblings were raised knowing that needs would be met, were in fact lucky to be able to taken for granted, but “wants” and certainly excess were not part of the equation.

 

               For Nancy privilege was used to follow her heart and teach. What drove her to public education was I believe, like the Salzmans’s inborn – her love of sports, running in particular, which led to joining the track team.  Dubbed “White Lightning” by her mostly black teammates she observed in dropping them off at public housing projects, the inequities of their lives. 

 

               Combined with her great capacity for nurturing and special insight and love of children it was not a great leap for her to want to do something and figure out how she personally could affect positive change.   

 

    What basic needs must be met for learning to occur? What was needed to equalize educational opportunities for children across the board?,

 

     Working together with Kirsten Brahsares and Rachel Tore “Wellness in the Schools” was created to explore these questions.  They concluded that what is essential to learning and every child’s right, is a clean environment, free of damaging chemicals that contribute both to asthmas and sick days, as well as adequate healthy food and exercise without which learning becomes much more challenged.

  

            Some of the programs begun or in the planning stages are cooking and nutrition classes, plus visits to markets and farms.  They hope next year to have both a Chef-In Residence and Athlete-In Residence at as many schools as possible.  To learn more about all the programs that she and her other cofounders Kirsten Brahsares and Rachel Tore have formed and ways you can participate I strongly urge you to visit their website Wellnessintheschools.org 

 

              In the meantime parents and concerned adults should be aware that there have been two pieces of legislation passed, one mandating a Wellness Committee in all schools, and a second guaranteeing a clean environment for all students.

 

               Ms. Easton describes best WITS involvment:

             “Inspired by Governor Pataki’s mandate that all schools in the state of New York convert to green cleaning by September of 2006, we worked to ensure that the mandate was met.  We insisted that the products used in our schools are the least toxic, most efficacious and cost-effective.

               In addition to implementing specific pilot programs, we have introduced Wellness Committees into schools, a mandate introduced in 2007 by Governor Pataki.  These Wellness Committees form the basis of our work, as we assess needs, share information and empower parents to continue to make their schools healthier.”

 

    Ms. Easton also asserts that busy adults caring for growing children can work at home on fostering healthy habits . Most important is to include as much as possible children themselves in shopping and preparing food. She suggests beginning with talking to younger children about balancing their plates using color.  How many are there on their plates? Or create rainbows from a weekly menu, and please if anyone knows let us in on how to avoid the junk food aisles in the supermarket.

 

    Others, more inclined toward cocktails and networking I suggest buying tickets to the upcoming benefit for WITS on May 15^th and supporting this wonderful effort.