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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Tara Van Real, Graduate Intern at Tisch Food Center
10:42:47
ยท
3 min
Tara Van Real, a graduate intern at the Tisch Food Center, advocates for strengthening food education in New York City schools. She shares her experiences teaching nutrition to elementary school students and emphasizes the importance of early food education for long-term health and academic success.
- Urges the council to renew funding for the food ed hub and enhance food education programs and partner supports
- Recommends a $100,000 investment in developing a consistent evaluation methodology for community-based organizations
- Highlights the positive impact of partner organizations like Wellness in the Schools and Green Beats curriculum on students' nutrition education and food choices
Tara Van Real
10:42:47
Good evening, council member Joseph and members of the committee.
10:42:51
Thank you for your dedicated service.
10:42:53
My name is Tara Van Real, and I'm a graduate intern at the Tisch Food Center.
10:42:57
I'm honored to have the opportunity to speak with you today.
10:42:59
I'm a second year student in the master of science in nutrition education program at Teachers College, Columbia University.
10:43:06
I am on track to become a registered dietitian upon completing my studies this year.
10:43:10
My studies have eliminated the disparities in community and my fieldwork experience has reinforced the importance of advocating for equity.
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We urge the council to strengthen food ed in New York City by renewing funding for the food ed hub and enhancing food ed ed programs and partner supports.
10:43:28
Increasing funding for food education programs is essential for students' long term health and academic success.
10:43:33
In November and October of twenty twenty four, I had the opportunity to co teach two nutrition lessons about fiber to third grade students at PS seventy five.
10:43:43
During the lessons, the students were very engaged and excited to try samples of different fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that we offered.
10:43:50
This experience reinforced the need to educate students about nutrition from an early age and continuously reiterate the knowledge they learned.
10:43:57
During my Zingle fellowship with the REACH program, I taught two fourth grade classes at PS thirty six throughout the 2023 and 2024 school year where I taught introductory nutrition.
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After providing both pre and post surveys to students, I was able to see that their knowledge about nutrition and our food system has improved.
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Additionally, those 32 students expressed more interest in incorporating healthier foods because they understood the benefits.
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This leads into my support for the next policy initiative.
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A $100,000 investment in developing a consistent evaluation methodology to community based organizations is crucial.
10:44:35
This will provide invaluable data to inform both the community and the council about the effectiveness of current food education programming, highlighting successes and identifying areas for improvement, ensuring that our investments yield the most significant possible impact.
10:44:49
Lastly, to highlight how the work of our partner organizations positively influences our New York City Students, last spring I had the opportunity to visit two elementary schools, PS seventy five and PS one sixty three, to interact with students during their lunch period and motivate them to try new sample recipes from the salad bar.
10:45:08
Wellness in the schools, one of our partner organizations, works with both of these schools and has made efforts to improve creative ways to promote health and wellness in the school.
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During one visit, there was a third grade teacher dedicated that dedicated a period to teach her students about nutrition education utilizing the Green Beats curriculum, another partner organization that provides lessons to students to learn more about modern and traditional food systems and the impact that food has on their health.
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It is crucial for students to be curious about where their food comes from and its impacts from elementary school.
10:45:42
At the end of that lesson, the students tried a cultural snack, yucca, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
10:45:47
By prioritizing food education, we empower students with the knowledge and skills to make informed dietary choices.
10:45:54
Thank you for your time.