MIDDLE SCHOOLERS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES AND FOOD DEMONSTRATIONS
PRESENTED BY NEW VISIONS HEALTH SCIENCES
By Wendy Buchberg, Teacher
The familiar adage, "You are what you eat," truly came to life this spring for area middle schoolers who participated in activities and food demonstrations presented by the New Visions Health Sciences Class of 2011. This service learning initiative was the culmination of a year-long New Visions emphasis on nutrition as a key to better health. In their clinical work at Cayuga Medical Center and in the community, New Visions students see every day the medical effects of unhealthy eating, and they wanted to do something about it.
With adolescent obesity at epidemic proportions in the US, and related conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension on the rise in a much younger population than at any time in the past, the New Visions students targeted middle school students as the ideal age to work with, since they are capable of making small lunch and snack changes that could have a big payoff in their health and well-being. Mentored by Marian Flaxman, a nutrition educator (formerly of GreenStar Cooperative Market, and now the owner of the new Culture Shock restaurant in downtown Ithaca), the New Visions class tried a number of foods that were new to most of them, including quinoa (a protein- and fiber-rich grain), salmon roll-ups on collard greens, and Lara Bars (unusually tasty snack bars, sold in stores, that contain only three or four ingredients – all of which are easy to pronounce, with no mysterious processed ingredients).
Inspired, students did their own experimentation throughout the year with a wide range of other foods that were delicious, nutritious, and easy for a younger adolescent to prepare independently, such as trail mix, Waldorf salad and hummus on low-sodium baked pita chips. They developed and practiced giving presentations that would appeal to the sixth through eighth grade age group; prepared handouts, eye-catching visuals, and simple recipes; and finally pitched their concepts to middle school health teachers in eight TST BOCES school districts.
Throughout the month of April, visiting groups of New Visions students found a warm and enthusiastic reception from the middle schoolers and their teachers. Remembering how limited middle school attention spans can be, each New Visions group wisely chose a "smorgasbord" of instructional approaches to keep the younger students engaged for a full period, incorporating small- and large-group activities; table discussions; entertaining quizzes; and the ever-popular taste tests of delicious, healthy snacks that the New Visions groups prepared for them.
New Visions student Lindsey Oltz of Lansing HS observed, "I was surprised by how receptive the middle school students were to our presentation and overall message. Classes who came in later in the day had heard about our presentation from earlier classes, and they were really pumped up to listen to us and try out the new foods." Arianna Lovett of Ithaca HS remarked, "It was challenging to keep one very energetic class on task for the whole period. I have a whole new appreciation for what teachers go through! But, the best part was hearing the younger students say they were going to ask their parents to help them shop for some new food choices." In a few cases, the New Visions students did encounter a little bit of skepticism. "Some kids in the class said there was no way they were going to try our trail mix or Lara Bars,' said Shane Wilkins of South Seneca HS, "but their teacher helped us to encourage them to be open-minded and take at least a bite."
In her evaluation, health teacher Tara Jenne of Dryden Middle School said, "My students continued to talk about the New Visions presentation throughout the day. I had an email from a parent and also ran into another parent in the store who shared their evening conversations with their sixth grader about what was presented in the New Visions students' lesson, and how it had an impact on their child's nutritional decisions. These are the kinds of lasting impressions great lessons make. It's all about reinforcing good or changing to good the decisions the kids make." When asked if she would be willing to have next year's New Visions students work with her class, Ms. Jenne had no hesitation – "Absolutely!"