April 10, 2015

Dear Friends!

I’m so proud to unveil our latest renderings of the National Health and Wellness Center at CS 55! If a picture is worth a thousand words, this rendering translates into 100 bags of vegetables a week – 52 weeks a year – aligned to academic outcomes and healthy school performance. Please take a moment to look carefully; see what we are building towards! The time is now to move from excited to committed, show that you care and help us Barnraise our way to success. With only two weeks left, we’re almost there but we still need your support. Our standing ovation TEDx Manhattan talk features it all; help us changes lives and outcomes in this and future generations!

The National Health and Wellness Center will be a place of inquiry and wonder, inspiration and aspiration, a place full of tactile and experiential learning opportunities for students and teachers with the following:

• Indoor Commercial Farm – we will grow enough food to send 100 students per week home with bags of fresh vegetables, 52 weeks per year.
• Indoor Teaching Farm – we will teach students hands-on about food from seed to harvest, and will connect lessons to classroom curriculum.
• Teaching Kitchen – we will teach students how to prepare and cook the vegetables they have just grown to create delicious, healthy meals.
• Media and Resource Center – students will have access to computers for data recording and analysis, and internet for research and inter-classroom lessons with other schools across the country and internationally.

Already, we have seen the following results:

• 50% reduction year-to-date in behavioral incidents and out of class time
• Dramatic improvement in School Quality Review and School Report Card – we have helped to move scores from Developing to Proficient in five critical areas of School Performance – school culture and performance are changing daily.
• Lunch and learn sessions with Principal Torres and students.
• Students and faculty are taking home fresh produce regularly.

Today I urge you to walk with us, work with us, and GROW SOMETHING GREATER as WE BARNRAISE OUR WAY! Please take a moment to make a contribution and show just how much you care! Our featured perk this week is the incredible Blentec ES3 Commercial Blender Kit – built by veterans and made in America – perfect for commercial use, home use and or gifting complete with seven year parts and labor warranty! 100% of the donation is tax deductible as well – win, win, win!

The eyes of the future are looking back at us – we can make it better for them TODAY!

Si se puede!

Stephen