CEL | News







		April 2008

		Articles Essays on Food and Poverty Inspired by Grameen Bank Delegation Farming's Central Role in Alleviating Poverty, by Michael Ableman Solutions That Serve People and the Environment, by Zenobia Barlow News New Study Links Student Diet to Literacy CEL Partners with Pioneering K-12 School on New Curriculum CEL and Columbia Team Up on Food, Health, and the Environment Barlow Narrates New Program on Food and Sustainability The World Food Crisis Articles Farming's Central Role in Alleviating Poverty, by Michael Ableman "What does having a sense of place, ecological stewardship, and local food and agriculture have to do with our very noble desire to alleviate poverty in this great island nation?" author and farmer Michael Ableman asked during a visit to Jamaica as part of a Nobel prize-winning Grameen Bank delegation. Ableman offers answers in this original CEL essay. Read Farming's Central Role in Alleviating Poverty > Browse more CEL Essays > Solutions That Serve People and the Environment, by Zenobia Barlow "Catching freshwater shrimp in the legendary Rio Grande by poisoning the water, as some are now doing, is an example of … a solution that causes a ramifying series of new problems," writes Zenobia Barlow, executive director of the Center for Ecoliteracy, in an essay adapted from a talk she gave during a visit to Jamaica as a part of a Nobel prize-winning Grameen Bank delegation. At the Center for Ecoliteracy, "we are seeking solutions that simultaneously address the needs of human communities and the ecosystems in which they are embedded." Read Solutions that Serve People and the Environment > Browse more CEL Essays > News New Study Links Student Diet to Literacy What difference does a healthy diet make to a student’s academic performance? More than a bushelful, according to a new study published in the Journal of School Health this month. Researchers surveyed the diet of 5000 Canadian fifth-grade students, then asked them to take a standardized literacy test. Students with diets high in fruits and vegetables, and low in fat, were significantly less likely to fail than students with unhealthy diets. The authors concluded that such findings support the importance of effective school nutrition programs. One such program, the Center for Ecoliteracy's Rethinking School Lunch, helps school districts improve student nutrition while creatively expanding opportunities for teaching and learning. For more information, visit Rethinking School Lunch > CEL Partners with Pioneering K-12 School on New Curriculum The Head-Royce School in Oakland has established an ambitious green school program, aimed at providing a healthy environment and promoting ecological sustainability. They have consulted throughout the year with the Center for Ecoliteracy for support in reflecting this mission in their curriculum. CEL education specialist Carolie Sly, Ph.D., has assisted the Head-Royce curriculum committee as they incorporate education for sustainable living concepts, attitudes, and skills across their curriculum. For more information about the Head-Royce program, visit Head Royce Green School Program > For more information from the Center for Ecoliteracy, visit CEL Education for Sustainability > CEL and Columbia Team Up on Food, Health, and the Environment The Center for Ecoliteracy will be partnering with Teachers College Columbia University this summer to present "Rethinking Food, Health, and the Environment: Making Learning Connections." The five-day residential institute will be held in June at the San Domenico School, an independent school located on 500 acres, 20 miles north of San Francisco. To apply, visit Rethinking Food, Health, and the Environment PD Institute > For more about ecological sustainability, visit CEL Publications > CEL's Barlow Narrates New Program on Food and Sustainability Center for Ecoliteracy executive director Zenobia Barlow narrates a new program about "Food, Sustainability, and Society," recently released by the Mainstream Media Project. The program, developed with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, can be downloaded for use in classrooms, group study, and distance learning. To listen, visit Food, Sustainability, and Society > The World Food Crisis The United States is exacerbating the world food crisis by supporting the production of biofuels, The New York Times wrote in an editorial on April 10. The price of imported food rose 25 percent in developing countries in 2007; and the president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, recently warned that 33 nations are at risk of social unrest as a result of rising prices. For the complete editorial, visit The New York Times Op Ed >
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