The Dannon Institute Awards $15,000 to New York Area Girls for Ideas to Improve Health and Wellness in Their Schools
Dannon Institute Girls 4 Tomorrow, powered by AdVenture Capital
Program, empowers local students to design and pitch health and wellness
ideas and win funding to execute their projects
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, 49 girls from 15 New York area schools came
together with nutrition leaders, business experts and special guests to
take part in a unique workshop designed to help them think and act like
entrepreneurs. As part of the Dannon Institute Girls 4 Tomorrow event,
powered by Adventure Capital, these aspiring health entrepreneurs
pitched their health and wellness ideas to a panel of judges for the
opportunity to win funding to implement their projects in their school.
During the five-hour workshop, the girls from higher needs schools
throughout the five boroughs worked closely with subject-matter experts
from the Dannon Institute and local Dannon company employees to create,
develop and refine their ideas aimed at improving health and wellness in
their schools. The girls then pitched their ideas to a panel of judges
in a head-to-head competition, and $15,000 in total grants was awarded
to 12 winning pitches to help make those ideas a reality.
“The Dannon Institute focuses its efforts on areas of nutrition that the
Board of Directors believe need greater attention in the United States
including promoting children’s nutrition education and fostering the
success of tomorrow’s leaders in the field of nutrition,” said Douglas
Heimburger, M.D., M.S., President, Board of Directors of the Dannon
Institute. “The Dannon Institute is proud to partner with GENYOUth to
leverage our more than 300 Nutrition Leadership Institute Program alumni
to mentor these young girls as they take the first step toward becoming
empowered leaders helping make an impact on health and wellness in their
communities.”
Winning project ideas included:
-
“#KnowBetterDoBetter” designed and pitched by Dani Soffer from Health
Professions and Human Services School. The project will educate their
fellow students on what healthy eating is by bringing experts in to
the school to teach a variety of elements on healthy foods and healthy
behaviors to students. The students will spread the word about the
project with an Instagram social awareness campaign
#knowbetterdobetter. -
“Sports Swap” designed and pitched by Brianna Kodetsky from I.S.2. The
project will help develop a mobile app to help students and teachers
exchange athletic equipment like soccer balls from one school to
another. The app will also help collect equipment from local community
members for recycling and donating to school. Grant funding will go
toward the planning and advertisement of the app. -
“Fruit Mobile” designed and pitched by Claudia, Nicole and Victoria
from I.S.2. The project will address consumption of fruit with their
fellow students by giving out fruit and other healthy snacks during
classes 2x per week. Some of the fruit items will be produced in the
local garden at the school. The fruit mobile will be run by a
committee of students who will also assist putting on workshops about
the value of healthy food.
This event was the second of two events in the Dannon Institute
Girls 4 Tomorrow Series, powered by Adventure Capital, pilot program.
The first event was hosted in Fort Worth, Texas on March 9th
where an additional $15,000 in funding was distributed to girls
representing 11 local schools. The Dannon Institute Girls 4 Tomorrow
events were presented in partnership with leading health and wellness
nonprofit GENYOUth to empower and support girls from high needs schools
and give them opportunities to foster change in their local schools and
communities through GENYOUth’s AdVenture Capital program. Since its
launch, the AdVenture Capital program has supported hundreds of students
who received funding to implement their ideas in schools across the
country.
“Empowering today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders is at the
forefront of GENYOUth’s mission and the AdVenture Capital program is
helping us create transformational changes in schools across the country
by putting youth at the helm,” said Alexis Glick, CEO, GENYOUth.
“Through our partnership with the Dannon Institute we are able to
encourage and support entrepreneurial skill development and leadership
opportunities to help girls create healthy changes in their schools and
communities preparing them to be future ready.”
The Dannon Institute and GENYOUth will continue to nurture valuable
entrepreneurship and leadership skills in future female student leaders
by pairing participants who do not receive grant funding with a Dannon
Institute and/or a Dannon company mentor throughout the remainder of the
school year to support their leadership and workforce development.
For more information about Dannon Institute Girls 4 Tomorrow Social
Innovation Series events and other opportunities offered for students
through Adventure Capital, visit www.AdCapYOUth.org.
About the Dannon Institute
The Dannon Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation dedicated to
non-commercial activities. Established in 1997, the Dannon Institute
promotes research, education and communication about the link between
nutrition and good health. The Dannon Institute’s main objective is to
facilitate behavior changes that lead to healthier lifestyles for you
and your family. For more information on the Dannon Institute, visit www.dannon-institute.org.
About AdVenture Capital
AdVenture Capital (“AdCap”) is a social entrepreneurship program of
GENYOUth, which provides funding, mentoring and experiences to 13+
students with ideas for improving health and wellness in their schools
and communities. To learn more, visit the digital platform at www.AdCapYOUth.org.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth empowers students to create a healthier future for themselves
and their peers by convening a network of private and public partners to
raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that bolster healthy,
high-achieving students, schools and communities nationwide. We believe
that all students are change-agents, who deserve the opportunity to
identify and lead innovative solutions that positively impact nutrition,
physical activity, and student success. For more information about
GENYOUth, visit: www.genyouthfoundation.org.
Contacts
Dannon
Michael Neuwirth, 914-872-8708
Senior Director of
Public Relations
Michael.NEUWIRTH@dannon.com
or
GENYOUth
Courtney
Dubin, 917-359-6418
Senior Youth Engagement & Digital Advisor
Courtney.Dubin@genyouthfoundation.org
