Whole Curriculum Development Model

This is a presentation given by Vanessa Domine (now Greenwood) at the 2016 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference on April 1st. The title is, “A Whole Curriculum Development Model for Critical Media Health Literacy Among Adolescents” as part of the Session “Health Literacy: Communicating and Collaborating for Better Understanding.” Audio stream and supporting documents are located below the presentation.

Reading & Riding—a Really Good Idea

The “Read & Ride” program in Ward Elementary School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is so simple, it is simply brilliant. This NBC Today Show segment (no longer available) frames it as a way for educators to solve the (classroom management) problem of “fidgety kids.” However, the power of reading while riding (on donated stationary bikes) goes well beyond addressing classroom management issues. It promotes “action-based learning” which feeds the body and the mind. No bikes? No problem. Schools around the country are using bouncy balls, standing desks, bungee cords—anything to provide a vehicle through which students can “expel energy.”

The Mediatrician Can Help

CMCHThe Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) was founded in 2003 by Michael Rich— a pediatrician, father, and ex Hollywood filmmaker. Located at Boston Children’s Hospital, CMCH is an academic research center with the mission “to educate and empower children and those who care for them to create and consume media in ways that optimize children’s health and development.” It is largely funded through grants and philanthropy and their projects fall into three categories: Read more

The Cookbook Project Teaches Food Literacy

NOLA_cookbook_projectAdam Aronovitz and his wife, Alissa Bilfield, are co-founders of The Cookbook Project, a New Orleans-based non-profit with a mission to “empower youth to be catalysts for healthier communities through food literacy and cooking education.” They focus on health, sustainability, and community.

During the 2013-14 school year The Cookbook Project partnered with City Year and The Barbara Lynch Foundation to pilot a food literacy education program in the Boston Public Schools. One cohort of City Year staff were trained to implement a semester-long program with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students from the Blackstone Elementary School, located in Boston’s historic South End neighborhood. Based on the success of the pilot program, the Boston Food Literacy Initiative was launched during the 2014-15 school year. 55 City Year staff members were trained to run programs for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in four Boston Public Schools. Through an innovative collaboration with The Barbara Lynch Foundation, the program is teaching youth about the connection between their food choices, the community, and the environment. Read more