April 2004 News Archive
Friday, April 9, 2004
Santa Barbara Healthy Vending Machines Combat Teen Obesity and Encourage Students to Make Healthy Choices
(This morning, a new healthy snack vending machine was unveiled at Santa Barbara High School. The vending machine pilot project is being subsidized by Stonyfield Farm in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Following is an excerpt from Stonyfield Farm’s press release.)
Londonderry, N. H. – April 9, 2004 - Santa Barbara students are among the first in the nation to have a new option in school food – healthy snacks from an innovative healthy vending machine.
Not only is this refrigerated healthy vending machine a novel contribution to the world of school food, but it comes from a once unlikely partnership. Stonyfield Farm, the nation’s largest organic yogurt company; Santa Barbara school officials; Rocket Vending Service; and public junior high and high school students have brought together the best in taste and health to help improve student nutrition.
Participating in the healthy vending pilot subsidized by Stonyfield Farm are Santa Barbara and San Marcos high schools and Goleta Valley Junior High School.
California is only the third state in the nation to integrate these healthy vending machines into its school systems. The machine includes organic smoothies, string cheese, and soy nuts among other low-fat and low-sugar products. Each item selected for the machine has gone through three rigorous tests – meeting the nutritional standards set up by CA-SB 19 guidelines, being reasonable in cost, and passing student taste tests.
A critical area
Vending is a particularly critical area. "Competitive foods," such as those foods sold a la carte or in vending machines have no federal nutritional guidelines or regulation, and subsequently, these foods are higher in fat, according to a study published by the American Public Health Association from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
"Let’s face it, businesses like mine can either be part of the problem or part of the solution," explains Gary Hirshberg, a father of three and Stonyfield Farm’s President & CE-Yo. "Twenty years in the yogurt business have taught me that if kids are offered great-tasting, healthy alternatives they will make the right decision. With healthy vending we can help schools take a step toward improving nutrition and help change our children’s future."
The current obesity epidemic among youth (one in seven now suffers from the health problem according to the US Centers on Disease Control and Prevention) prompted Hirshberg to get involved with improving school food and sparked the development of a program he started a year ago called Menu for Change. The machines can also address the wider issue of providing children with wholesome, healthy foods to encourage a lifelong pattern of healthy eating and making overall healthy lifestyle choices as well.
This unique pilot program was initiated by Santa Barbara High School’s School Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC). SNAC was established with the encouragement and support of the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education, the districts’ administrative staff, the leadership team at Santa Barbara High School, and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department’s Nutrition Network.
Eric Burrows Named Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year
(Following is an excerpt from a Santa Barbara County Education Office news release.)Eric Burrows, a former district attorney who has worked as a social studies teacher at San Marcos High School in the Santa Barbara High School District for 10 years, was named 2005 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made by County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone at a press conference convened at the April 1 meeting of the county board of education.
Burrows, one of a number of outstanding countywide nominees for the honor, was selected by a committee including representatives of teachers, administrators, and PTAs.
Burrows teaches 10th, 11th, and 12th grade classes in U.S. History, AP U.S. History, World History, GATE World History, AP European History, Law and Society, and Mock Trial. He holds a B.A. in history from Stanford University, an M.A. in public policy analysis from Claremont Graduate School, a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley, and a social studies teaching credential from Holy Names College.
Prior to working as a teacher he was Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County. "Students often ask whether I miss being a district attorney and my response is always, ‘Of course, but there is nothing better than teaching,’" he wrote. "Teaching is an intensely personal experience - more demanding, more exciting and more rewarding – because of the opportunity to work with the students."
Burrows’ awards and honors have been numerous. He received the San Marcos High School Royal Service Award, and he was named San Marcos Teacher of the Year, by the Santa Barbara Notre Dame Club, as selected by the school’s student body. He received a Teachers Network Disseminator Grant for his Harlem Renaissance Lesson; an Honorary Service Award by the California Parent Teacher Student Association; and was named Teacher of the Year by the Santa Barbara Industry Education Council (now Partners in Education) for his outstanding contribution to career education. He was a nominee for Disney Teacher of the Year and was named teacher of the year by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara.
Burrows was a member of the San Marcos Restructuring Committee, the San Marcos Site Council and served as co-chair of both the WASC Powerful Teaching and Learning Committee and the Site Council Vision and Leadership Subcommittee. He was a member of the school’s principal search committee as well.
Among his many community, extracurricular, and volunteer activities stands his leadership of his school’s Mock Trial teams. Under his leadership, San Marcos has won the county Mock Trial championship five out of the past seven years and in five of those years a San Marcos junior varsity team placed in the final four as well. In this process he has worked with numerous local attorneys to help coach the team.
He also serves as coach for sports played by his own three sons, and for the past 10 years has volunteered to coach basketball, baseball, and soccer in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Burrow’s nomination will next be reviewed for consideration as California Teacher of the Year in the fall. The California winner will then proceed into consideration for 2005 National Teacher of the Year.