Thanks to a generous grant made possible by the Cleveland Clinic, Ginn Academy students, for the first time, have an advanced health education curriculum. We feel quite lucky to be one of only two schools in Ohio to be part of the HealthCorps program established by Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife, Lisa.
The HealthCorps program, started in 2003, is currently in 54 high schools in 13 states, and continues to grow. Its mission is to educate students in under-served areas about the importance of mental, physical, and nutritional health. Lessons are taught by a HealthCorps Coordinator, typically a recent college graduate who serves a two-year stint as an educator, peer role model, and advocate for their assigned school.
Melissa Jennings, a University of Michigan graduate who was recently accepted into Michigan State's medical school, is at The Ginn Academy this year as our inaugural HealthCorps Coordinator. She is at GA every day and teaches each and every GA student, with lessons generally revolving around fitness, nutrition, mental resilience, and problem solving.
In December, Ginn Academy seniors produced the school's first ever Health Fair. They divided into groups and presented numerous health topics to their fellow students and the entire faculty. Everything from the healthful benefits of produce to the importance of hand washing to dental care was covered. Medical professionals from the Cleveland Clinic were invited to provide health screenings and health and wellness advice.
As a community service project, Ms. Jennings recently took a group of seniors to volunteer at the Cleveland Foodbank, just down the street from the school. The boys were divided into groups that sorted incoming donations, made sandwiches, and assembled bag lunches.
Everyone was impressed with the enormity of the facility and the operation, and we were all more than happy to lend a hand to such a needed organization. It was certainly a community service that hit close to home as many of the network's hunger centers are in our students' own neighborhoods.
For more information about the Cleveland Foodbank and its services, please visit their website. There are so many people working very hard there, every day, to fight hunger in our community.
Currently on the HealthCorps agenda at Ginn Academy are the Teen Battle Chef cooking competition classes, which meet once a week after school. We promise to bring you coverage of the exciting culmination as one of the teams emerges as the Teen Battle Chef champion.
Until then, we thank you for your interest in The Ginn Academy and we wish you good health and happiness until we post again.
Kind Regards from all of us...
