Kyle Stallard, Nadya Espinoza, Luis Macias, Diana Roberts and Christina Tometchko

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Elixir for (Ill)iteracy,” focuses on building healthy nutrition habits through the implementation of a comprehensive, garden-based nutrition education program. The Voya grant will enable the school to introduce classes, equipment, teachers, and other resources focused on targeting improvement in areas related to nutrition, literacy, and math. Stallard and his team believe that by incorporating physical activity, movement-based classroom instruction, and positive role models in student learning and curriculum, teachers can augment literacy scores, improve math skills, and support greater health and longevity among their students.