Wellness in the Schools Receives $600,000 Grant from Newman's Own Foundation

    NEW YORK, NY, November 21, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Wellness in the Schools has been awarded a three-year $600,000 grant from Newman's Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman. The funding supports Wellness in the Schools' participation in a special Nutrition Cohort, a group of six nonprofits and one research organization that will each bring distinctive expertise and programming to collaborate and collectively pursue greater impact.

The Cohort is being developed by Newman's Own Foundation to help improve health among children and families in underserved communities through fresh food access and nutrition education. It is an innovative approach that creates a network of peers, each with unique and complementary knowledge and experience, to share best practices and collectively accelerate systems change on a national level.

The grant to Wellness in the Schools will be used to support organizational growth through the addition of two new senior positions and the undertaking of a three-year, intensive evaluation project. The new staff will include a Managing Director, who will oversee organization operations, assess new expansion locations, and manage partnerships, as well as a Director for the newly piloted Green for Kids program, focusing on environmental education and sustainability. The evaluation is being undertaken in partnership with a research team from The Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University and will assess the impact of the Cook and Coach for Kids program and identify areas of challenge and opportunity.

"We are so grateful to the Newman's Own Foundation for their continued support over the last few years," said WITS Executive Director Nancy Easton. "As a part of this Cohort we will be able to learn so much from one another and increase the impact of our work through collaboration and sharing of expertise."

Wellness in the Schools 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.

"The Nutrition Cohort Newman's Own Foundation has put together is full of organizations we trust and admire so much, some with whom we already have great relationships," said Bill Telepan, WITS Executive Chef and Chef/Owner of the eponymous Telepan restaurant. "This is going to allow WITS to grow on a whole new level. I know we are going to do great things with this group of leaders and advocates."

"There is tremendous potential in combining the knowledge, experience, and national networks of these organizations to accelerate the impact of improving nutrition in urban and rural communities," said Lisa Walker, Managing Director, Newman's Own Foundation. "We are inspired by the early progress being made by Wellness in the Schools, and we are excited about bringing several organizations together through the Cohort."

The other five Nutrition Cohort organizations are: Fair Food Network (Ann Arbor, MI), FoodCorps, Inc. (New York, NY), Food Trust (Philadelphia, PA), National Farm to School Network (Chicago, IL), and Wholesome Wave (Bridgeport, CT). Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition (North Grafton, MA) will provide research assistance to lend expertise in nutrition and evaluate the Cohort's impact.

Newman's Own Foundation will work with the Nutrition Cohort over a three-year period to coordinate efforts and brainstorm ideas for improving nutrition.

The Foundation is providing $4.5 million in grants for the Cohort program as part of its overall $10 million support of nonprofits that increase fresh food access and nutrition education in underserved communities. Other funding has been allocated to 29 nonprofits across the country that are focused on nutrition initiatives.

For more information about the Nutrition Cohort, visit www.newmansownfoundation.org.

ABOUT WELLNESS IN THE SCHOOLS
Since 2005, Wellness in the Schools has worked to inspire healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness as a way of life for children in public schools. Through meaningful public/private partnerships, Wellness in the Schools creates hands-on programs such as Cook for Kids, Green for Kids and Coach for Kids. These programs provide healthy foods, healthy environments and opportunities for regular play to help kids learn and grow. WITS is currently serving over 60 NYC public schools by creating healthier lunches, providing culinary and nutrition education, and getting the least active kids active in a fun and supportive way on the recess yard.

For more information about Wellness in the Schools, please visit www.wellnessintheschools.org.

# # #