Diabetes

why it's important:

Vocational. Personal. Communal. Food Forward will partner with non-profits which work with specific populations (i.e. homeless, disadvantaged youth, young adults) to develop courses which cater to needs identified by the organizations. Students will gain skills to pursue personal and professional goals both in and outside of the kitchen. The programs also include a “Pay it Forward” initiative to empower participants to positively affect the local food system and teach others how to cook.

the plan of action:

Food Forward’s courses equip students with practical cooking and food business skills as well as a working knowledge of current food system issues pertaining to justice, the local economy, health, and the environment. I myself boast no expertise in working with specific populations, but I have proven myself as an organizer and advocate. I am confident in my ability to forge partnerships with existing non-profits in order to develop programs that effectively address the specific needs and desires of each student population. Food Forward also includes an apprenticeship program, whereby local chefs and producers give students hands-on opportunities equipping them for work in restaurants and artisanal production. This collaboration also provides students a “foot in the door” of the local food industry. The “Pay it Forward” initiative will train students to start their own community cooking groups to teach others basic cooking skills and garner awareness about food system issues.

how you can get involved:

why it's important:

Bronx, Obesity, Diabetes and You (BODY) is a group of medical and graduate students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the community. We are concerned about the dangerously high rates of obesity and diabetes in the Bronx, New York and hope to address this epidemic by improving access to fresh, nutritious foods and a green, friendly space.

the plan of action:

In a little over a year, we have acquired usable land for the garden and have already engaged the community in order to better address their needs and to incorporate their vision into the garden design. We want the garden to serve as a space for exercise, a source of fresh and healthful foods, and as a common space for health and nutrition education. With strong support of the community, the BODY Community Garden will not only be a place for growing produce, but for the nurturing of healthy relationships and lifestyles for all involved.

how you can get involved:

We are always looking for donations and volunteers to help us with our project. For more information on ways to help and contacting us please visit us at our website: http://bodyateinstein.comeze.com/

why it's important:

Our vision is to provide a holistic, collaborative, long-term, multi-intervention empowerment track for girls who have high potential but who are facing big obstacles. Over the course of thirteen years (K-12), FCF girls will be paced through a series of community-powered, best-practice programs, including summer camps, afterschool opportunities, apprenticeships, civic engagement training, and hands-on microventure experiences.

In 2011, Full Circles Foundation launched our pilot project in Raleigh, North Carolina - a series of community-powered summer camps, The Strong Camps. The Strong Camps included Strong Self Camp, Strong Neighbor Camp, and Strong Home Camp; they emphasized the connections between personal, community, and environmental health. This strategy is called "intertasking" - that is, accomplishing multiple goals with one action.

the plan of action:

In 2012, Full Circles Foundation aims to hold the second Strong Camp series in Raleigh, and to launch another pilot in Lexington, Kentucky. These two programs will reach at least 70 girls. We also hope to launch the Green Apprentice in Raleigh, an apprentice program that will pair middle and high school participants with local women artisans and entrepreneurs.

how you can get involved:

why it's important:

It is important to me because I've seen several students turn to gangs and drop out of school. So many young ones are underprivileged and forced into negative lifestyles. I take any and all students who want to participate as well as students who are referred by teachers, parents and/or guardians. Typically those students have trouble at home or in school, and I use a one on one tactic to find out what there interests are so I can determine rewards for improvement. A lot of the students I've worked with were caught up in gang life/selling drugs, failing school and not participating in any after school programs because there weren't any offered at their schools. I thought that was one of the main reasons why students were turning to gangs, so I started by mentoring a few boys and they all got out of the gang life and became more focused on school, sports, arts and music. I think students just need the knowledge and opportunities to express there interests and talents to reach their potentials, succeed in high school and beyond.

Obesity is another issue that I have helped students battle. Teaching them how to eat healthier and giving them a work out plan that you motivate them through can do wonders. However, motivation is key and varies from student to student. It might be a work out plan playing basketball, wii fit, skate boarding, hiking or basic lifting/cardio etc. You just have to take the time to figure out what works best for each individual.

the plan of action:

Provide mentoring and after school programs such as Leadership, Music, Sports, Art, Tutoring, Guidance etc. Inspiration Mentoring

Mission Statement: Our goal is to assist students in reaching their fullest potential by offering them one on one mentoring and tutoring as well as several leadership and extracurricular enrichment opportunities they wouldn’t experience otherwise. We focus on students individual interests and reward them when they reach certain goals. Many of our students suffer from broken homes, gangs, obesity, poverty etc. We provide them with the knowledge and resources necessary to overcome these obstacles.

Every student is different, so every approach is different. We develop a, “Success Plan” for every student which includes goals with step by step, day by day, week by week and month by month objectives, so we can measure effectiveness and improvement. No one is turned down and we have a 100% success rate since we’ve started. Students have dropped out of gangs, improved academics and found passion for activities such as music, art, photography, outdoor education, sports, debate etc.

It is our belief that all students have a passion for something and want to learn, it is just a matter of finding out what that passion is and how to motivate each individual. If you can reward a student with an opportunity they’ve never experienced or dreamed of they will do anything to succeed. I have brought students to professional recording studios, vocal lessons, acting auditions/classes, movie sets, mountains for skiing/snowboarding/tubing, youth recognition ceremonies to receive awards I nominated them for, ribbon cutting ceremonies to meet the mayor, community service events and many other places/events all for the first time to show them I care about there individual interests and to earn their respect.

I base every “Success Plan” on a rewards system that students must earn to motivate them to reach their goals. I combat the lack of role models, broken homes, obesity and gang life on a daily basis. However, it’s these situations that keep me passionate and motivated to help. Some people go to third world countries to help better peoples lives, but I have found that are several people in my own community that suffer from some of the hardships. I believe it is my calling to do whatever I can to help and I will stop at nothing to succeed.

I would like to expand across the entire district and eventually state and country. I have a big vision for Inspiration Mentoring and want it to improve the nations education, obesity rate, crime rate and drop out rate. It will start off small in every school and build every year until every school in the area has a program.

how you can get involved:

Others can help by volunteering, mentoring, facilitating, advertising/spreading the word, donating etc.