Transforming School Communities with Wellness: Slow Food USA Tool Kit Walkthrough

The Local School Wellness Policy Tool Kit is here and we are ready to share it with you! Action at the local level is more important now than ever. Whether you are an internal or external stakeholder, city official, organization, or an educational agency join us for a walkthrough of the toolkit and discover how it can serve as a catalyst for building a school district wellness network in your community. Begin or ramp up your school wellness journey with experts in the fields of education, health, and foodservice who will guide you through each chapter of the toolkit with plenty of time for answering your questions. Plan to preview the toolkit at this link and come ready with questions.

Register here for this information session!

Speakers:
Kris Reid, Executive Director, SlowFoodUSA
Cynthia Walters, Green Umbrella
Trisha Bautista Larson, National Farm to Schools Programs Director
Kelly Thompson, RD, LDN, Nutrition Manager Boston Public Schools
Mary Ellen Knaebel, MPH, MCHES, Director, Health Promotion and Education, Hamilton County Public Health

Bios:
Cynthia Walters, M.Ed leads the Green Schoolyards Action Network, a program of Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative in the Greater Cincinnati area. Cynthia develops and implements school district sustainability models in the areas of outdoor teaching & learning, green workforce development, garden to cafeteria programs, and wellness policy. Cynthia has been deeply engaged in transforming the education landscape by implementing tools for environment and food system change through collaboration with school communities, municipalities, and partner organizations. Walters is the author of the Slow Food USA Local School Wellness Policy Tool Kit that was released in 2024.

Trisha Bautista Larson is a Programs Director at the National Farm to School Network where she focuses in program development and evaluation of farm to school initiatives and network building across the country. Her passion for working in local food systems began as a nutrition educator at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-ED) initiative. She is eager to serve as an active member of the local food system and is currently an Associate Board member of the Chicago Green City Market. She has an educational background in public health and completed her Graduate Studies at the University of Arizona.

Kelly Thompson has been part of the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Food and Nutrition Services Department for seven years as the Nutrition Manager. Kelly is a Registered Dietitian. She has been a Co-Chair for the Boston Public Schools’ Wellness Council Food and Nutrition Subcommittee since 2019.

Mary Ellen Knaebel (MPH, MCHES) is the Director of Health Promotion and Education at Hamilton County Public Health where she works to create a culture of health, safety, and vitality throughout Hamilton County. She provides leadership for the agency’s WeTHRIVE! initiative that brings together public health, community members, administration, youth and partners to create environments where all individuals can thrive. The work within the division of Health Promotion and Education focuses on policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to make changes that will last for generations to come. Mary Ellen has a B.S. in Biology from Elon University, a MPH from The Ohio State University and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).