It’s never too early to learn healthy habits. The wellness committee at Ogden
Prep Academy is helping kids to develop a lifelong love of fruits and
vegetables.
Each month, the charter school’s wellness committee—comprised of parent
volunteers—visits grades one through four to introduce a new fruit or
vegetable. Students learn why it’s good for them and, most importantly, get
to give the new food a taste test.
“We believe that if you can teach kids when they’re young, they can
encourage their families to eat fruits and vegetables and to buy fruits and
vegetables,” says volunteer committee member Anna Cash.
The school’s efforts to improve nutrition were recently recognized by
SelectHealth. The
Salt Lake City-based health insurance has named Ogden
Prep as one of 25 Selec
t 25 award recipients. Each recipient will receive
$2,500 to improve health and wellness in the community.
Ogden Prep Academy will use the grant to start a school garden. “Our school
currently provides 57 percent of the children with a free or reduced lunch,”
Cash says. “A school garden will not only teach children where their food
comes from, but it will also help break the poverty cycle. We believe if
children know how to grow food and eat in a healthy and nutritious way, they
can make informed choices.”
Winners of the 2012 Select 25 award were selected from all areas of Utah and
represented a wide range of services, including health services for refugees,
housing for low-income families, and educational resources for those with
disabilities.
The Select 25 award was originally created in 2008 to commemorate the 25th
anniversary of SelectHealth. To learn more about this year’s winners, visit select25.org.
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