Educate. Access. Thrive.

 

What is the E.A.T. Initiative?

Sustained nourishment is a key element to experiencing transformative outdoor experiences. Elevate Youth’s E.A.T. Initiative integrates health and wellness into our curriculum as an essential component to creating a long-term impact in a child’s life. Our E.A.T. Initiative is directly informed by the expertise of professional chefs, nutritionists, and community health facilitators.

 

Our Vision

As part of our wholesome approach to mentorship, we realize the importance of integrating healthy eating options and education into our curriculum as an essential component to creating a long-term impact in a child’s life. In our efforts to do so, we hope to combine our expertise in outdoor education and mentoring with other food security organizations, as well as resources and knowledge surrounding healthy eating and urban farming.

 

We commit to creating curriculum and building new partnerships that will work off our existing program framework to provide youth a truly transformative experience. We do this through:

  • Providing a Katsiroubas Cares Box, full of local produce, to 100 families in our network, free of charge.

  • Including healthy food options at our outings, educating children about the foods they are eating, and teaching how to read nutrition labels.

  • Running field trips to local farms to learn about how our food is grown and harvested in our own community.

  • Providing youth with information and incentives for visiting local farmers markets and CSAs.

  • Facilitating monthly virtual cooking classes in the winter for youth and their families which are fun, engaging, and informative.

 

Our Approach

 

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Our E.A.T. Initiative Team

This is a truly collaborative effort. Check out the all star team who directs this initiative!

Elevate E.A.T. Committee:

Melissa Castro - Business Development Director at CommonWealth Kitchen, founder of La Conexión

Melissa Castro

Dulce Delpina - Digital Marketing manager at Stop & Shop, Member of Board of Trustees at Mother Caroline Academy

Dulce DePina

Meredith Smith - Realtor at Unlimited Sotheby’s International Realty, yoga instructor, Food writer

Meredith Smith

Paloma Suarez - Pediatric Wellness Director at Boston Community Pediatrics, Researcher and Publisher on Health and Wellness in Latinx Communities. Advisory Board Member for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Paloma Suarez

Karen Masterson- co-owner of Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton, former owner/operator of Nourish Restaurant and Big Fresh Cafe. She has served on the boards of RIA House, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Green America (formerly Coop America), Natick Community Organic Farm, and Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston.

Karen Masterson

Jessica Torres - Torch Scholar at Northeastern University, Student researcher at Northeastern University's Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, and Network and Research Fellow at Chica Project.

Jessica Torres

Gay Crowley - Founder, Mother Caroline Academy and Education Mentoring Program, Northeastern University Torch Mentor, Leadership Board Executive Council for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Gay Crowley

Siedric White - Farm Manager at Trillium Brewing Company, Production Manager & Head Chef at Fresh Food Generation

Sedric White

Tuck Welch - Vice President, Business Development, Audax Private Equity, Board President at Elevate Youth

Tuck Welch


Recent Recipes


2022 Cooking Classes


2021 Cooking Classes


 

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