Paige at her internship at Wellness in the Schools this past summer
Paige at her internship at Wellness in the Schools this past summer

This past summer, I interned with Wellness in the Schools (WITS), an organization that provides health and wellness programming in high-poverty New York public schools. After my summer with WITS, I was inspired to further research the benefits of early childhood nutrition education, which is how I became the Nutrition Education Fellow for the New London County Food Policy Council.

As part my senior integrative project for the Holleran Center, I will be piloting a nutrition education course at Connecticut College's Children's Program, which is located across Route 32 on Nameaug Avenue. Modeled after UConn's Husky Reads program, the main objectives of our Camel Sprouts program curriculum are:

- Provide basic nutrition education and healthy opportunities for preschoolers

- Improve willingness to try and recognize various foods

- Build a foundation for lifelong good health and well-being

- Motivate parents and caregivers to reinforce healthy behaviors

If you are interested in volunteering, please feel free to contact me! My email address is pziplow@conncoll.edu. We hope that our pilot program will become a permanent part of the Children's Program and other preschools within the greater New London County.