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Name of Project: Organic School Project
Website Address of Project: www.organicschoolproject.org
Contact Person: Josephine Lauer Washuk
Organic School Project, Director of Logistics
Contact Address: 1103 W. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
phone: 312.275.6800
fax: 312.275.6806
email: josephine@gregchristian-catering.com
Brief Description of Project:
MISSION:
The Organic School Project seeks to transform Chicago-area children into
healthier, more mindful eaters, one school and one child at a time.
BACKGROUND:
Concerned with the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and other health
concerns, Greg Christian, a well known Chicago chef and caterer, helped
found the Organic School Project, a pilot program in the Chicago Public
Schools that works with parents, school employees, professors and doctors to
help instill healthy eating habits in children.
The press is rife with stories demonstrating the link between unhealthy
eating among children and a host of medical and behavioral problems:
Obese children are four times more likely to experience impaired
school function compared to healthy children, and miss an average of 4.2
school days during a month.
Obesity in children nearly doubles the risk of asthma.
Weight gain may be an accelerating factor for the development of
both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and could be contributing to the
increased incidence of this disease over the past several decades.
Young children in Chicago are two-and-a-half times more likely to
be overweight than children nationwide.
In some Chicago neighborhoods, the incidence of obesity in
children ages two to 12 years is as high as 47 to 53 percent.
These statistics relate information about what one Center for Disease
Control researcher calls˛ the worse epidemic facing our country:˛ obesity.
Real change requires making a connection between children and the food they
eat, learning about food in meaningful, appropriate ways, and taking part in
preparing food for themselves, all of which the Organic School Project (OSP)
can deliver.
OSP PROJECT OVERVIEW
In collaboration with Chicago-area educators, public and private gardens,
farms and food retailers and suppliers, and cooking and health care
professionals, OSP is a non-profit organization designed to:
Provide hands-on opportunities for children to grow and care for
foods in on-site or neighborhood organic gardens and farms, and in classroom
settings, along with grade-appropriate opportunities for food preparation.
Integrate food-and garden-related content into grade level- and
course-appropriate school curriculum.
Design and create full-service organic food cafeteria within
participating schools.
Establish relationships with local organic farmers, food
suppliers, and retailers to provide affordable ingredients on an ongoing
basis.
Conduct research that benefits the community at large in
association with various local universities.
Seek out additional funding from the USDA in terms of providing
more money for the school lunch program.
Develop a comprehensive guide for sustaining the model within
pilot schools.
PARTNERS AND TEAM MEMBERS:
In addition to its partnership with the Chicago Public School System, the
Project has been steadily developing a network of relationships with area
educators, public and private gardens, farms and food retailers and
suppliers, cooking and health care professionals, and advocacy groups. OSP
intends to maintain a minimal permanent staff and tap partner resources for
their expertise in gardening, curriculum development and
measurement/evaluation. The list of past and current partners includes:
§ Angelic Farms/CSA Learning Center
§ Chicago Botanic Gardens
§ Loyola University Medical Center, Chuck Dumont, MD
§ Loyola University Chicago School of Nursing
§ Benedictine University, Deepa Handu, PhD, RD
§ LaRabida Childrenšs Hospital, Elisa DšUrso Fischer, MS, RD
The OSP receives additional support for its current and slated projects from:
Susan Susanke, Director of Logistics for Chicago Public Schools (oversight
for all Chicago Public School food service)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (as of October, 2006):
Rakesh M. Amin, LLM., R.Ph
Partner, Amin Law, LLC
Chicago, IL
Greg Christian
Owner & Chef, Greg Christian Catering
Chicago, IL
Thomas McGarrity
Retired Investment Executive & Adjunct Math Instructor
Clarendon Hills, IL
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Stacey Lawson
Co-Founder and Industry Fellow, Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology
Berkley, CA
John Rudy
Catering Consultant
Evanston, IL
Bob Scaman
President, Goodness Greeness, Inc.
Chicago, IL
Jeff Shane
Organic Farmer
Chicago, IL & North Judson, IN
Diana Smith
Consultant
Seattle, WA
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