A Deliciously Fun Challenge and Earth Day Opportunity

A Philadelphia high school teacher wins the Go Organic! Curriculum Contest

While Earth Day may only last for 24 hours, the Organic Trade Association (OTA), MusicMatters, and Earth Day Network (EDN) are getting people riled up about sustainability all year round. With their award-winning project, Go Organic! for Earth Day, the three organizations are working to bring organic food to kitchens, restaurants, and cafeterias across America.

This year, Go Organic! will be in over 3,660 store fronts across the country with over 2.7 million coupon booklets bringing cheaper organic food to people across US for Earth Day. Already, the organization is seeing success. The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), stated that the Go Organic! campaign raised consumer awareness of organics by more than 10 million consumers (3% nationwide!). In addition, Go Organic! won the Nutrition Business Journal Awards Go Organic! with a NBJ Achievement Award for 2006.

Karns City High School students enjoy organic snacks

 

27.1 million children eat at least one meal at school a day- that’s about half the total student population in US. In February, 2007, to bring more organic food to students across the United States , Go Organic! launched their Go Organic! Curriculum Contest, giving teachers nationwide an opportunity to submit curriculum with lesson plans highlighting the benefits of organic whole grains, dairy, soy, fruit and vegetables. The curriculum was meant to inform students of not only the health and economic benefits of organically farmed food, but the environmental advantages as well.

 

Ms. Lendyak receives her award

On December 12th, Go Organic! announced that Nancy Lendyak, a language arts teacher at Karns City High School in Karns City, PA , was the contest winner. While there were many splendid submissions, the curriculum sent by Nancy wowed the contest judges with its wonderful combination of music, food, discussion, and creativity.

In Nancy’s lesson plan, students have the opportunity to discuss organic farming and pest control practices, listen to and analyze Joni Mitchell’s song “The Big Yellow Taxi,” and even sample organic vegetables and meat.

To access the lesson plan, and use it in your own classroom, click HERE

Students toast to Ms. Lendyak’s success

The of staff and 849 students of Karns City High School celebrated Nancy ’s achievement in a surprise ceremony in the Karns City High School auditorium. Everyone was awarded with a 100% biodegradable BioBag filled with a sampling of delicious organic food from campaign sponsors Organic Valley, R.W. Knudsen Family, Santa Cruz Organic, Earthbound Farm, Annie’s, Inc., Stonyfield Farm, Stemilt, and CLIF Kid. Long before students went home, they could be seen enjoying their organic loot and toasting to the success of their environmentally-minded teacher.

 

 

Nancy describes the contest winnings as “the gift that just keeps giving.”

“We have had a number of parents and teachers inquire where they can buy the food.”

Thanks to the work of Nancy, Go Organic!, and the food donors, the combination of curriculum and free samples may very well inspire Karns City High School students and their families to work more organic foods into their lives for good!

The Go Organic! Curriculum Contest is just one aspect of a much larger effort by Go Organic! and Earth Day Network to bring environmentally-based curriculum into U.S. schools. EDN is building a sizeable collection of lesson plans in their online Educators’ Network, which teachers can access through their website. Additionally, the campaign seeks to bring organic food to a wider audience this Earth Day.

Thanks to collaborative programs like Go Organic! for Earth Day and contributions from teachers such as Nancy Lendyak, organic food and its benefits are spreading across the country. To learn more about the Go Organic for Earth Day campaign, visit the campaign’s website at: www.OrganicEarthDay.org.