There are hard-working school employees and others in the education community who make a difference every day to create healthier schools. Learn more about our recognition programs:
- The Ryan White Award
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Thank you for the work you do every day to support safe and healthy schools for every student! We are excited to announce a new initiative called the NEA Health Information (NEA HIN) Champion Network!
NEA HIN “Champions” are NEA leaders who believe and are willing to help spread the word that students need to be healthy to learn and thrive. They are new OR seasoned health and safety advocates ready to share information and make a difference in their local and/or state association. NEA HIN is recruiting “Champions” to help promote the work and mission of NEA HIN at various association meetings and conferences such as the NEA Representative Assembly (RA).
To recognize the hard work and dedication, “Champions” will:
- Receive a certificate of recognition
- Have their profile and story featured on the NEA HIN website and shared through NEA HIN’s social media networks
- Receive new resources and program updates hot off the press!
NEA HIN will pilot this effort at the 2013 NEA Representative Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia. Champions will be contacted to participate at future conferences, meetings, and events as appropriate.
You can become a “Champion” at any time! If you are interested please email [email protected].
2013 NEA RA – Atlanta, Georgia
NEA RA “Champions” will complete two or more of the following during the RA Expo on July 1-2
- Encourage fellow delegates to stop by the “Hall of Health and Safety” in the Expo Hall (Booths 200-2011).
- Wear an NEA HIN button to help raise awareness about NEA HIN and its work.
- Tweet and/or post on Facebook about NEA HIN and the “Hall of Health and Safety” and ask colleagues to like NEA HIN on Facebook, follow NEA HIN on Twitter and/or sign up for the NEA HIN newsletter or blog.
- Raise $25 or more for the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund (JLN Fund).
- Distribute JLN Fund brochures at State Caucus or other meetings.
To learn more about our 2013 NEA HIN Champions click on the names below:
Name: Kathryn Castle
Job Title: President, Elgin Teachers Association
Number of years you have been in this role: President for 3 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: 27 years
Association Leadership Role(s): President
Local Association: Elgin Teachers Association
City: Elgin State: IllinoisAs President of the Elgin Teachers Association, Kathryn Castle has served as a “School Breakfast Champion” for hungry children. Her school district was chosen as one of ten districts across the country to receive funding from the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom program to implement a Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) project this past school year. Kathryn stated, “We had 10 of our district’s more than 50 schools participate in bringing better service and nutrition to our students. The effort emphasized collaboration of all members of those school communities, from students to staff and parents.”
Kathryn reports that during the first year of implementation, teachers have already reported an increase in student alertness and fewer trips to the nurse in those critical morning hours of instruction. She hopes the experience that was gained with this year’s program will help the district improve and expand the program to all schools in Elgin.
Kathryn says that, “NEA HIN has provided our local with great resources and support. The first stages of the breakfast partnership brought experts in to look at what our school breakfast program was already doing and to learn about and understand our unique challenges. The recommendations that the experts made were based on what they observed in each selected school. In the world of quick fixes and canned programs, this approach certainly has a much better chance of success and sustainability.”
When Kathryn is not leading her association, she enjoys walking with her dog Dewey. She says that they usually get in about two to three miles a day during their walks together.
Name: Cathy Koehler
Job Title: Library Media Specialist
Number of years you have been in this role: Library Media Specialist for 20 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: 20 years
Association Leadership Role(s): President of Little Rock Education Association; NCUEA Central Region Executive Board Member
Local Association: Little Rock Education Association
City: Little Rock State: ArkansasSince the start of her career, Cathy Koehler has been a health and safety advocate. As President of the Little Rock Education Association, she has been involved with NEA HIN in many different programs. Cathy was one of the earliest adopters of NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program and helped to bring her district on board. “From the start, BIC has encouraged and built collaboration in our schools, district, and community among the administration, the school board, community partners, and our association. Through engagement of this network, BIC has spread into more of the district’s schools, providing every student at the sites with equal access and opportunity for a tasty, nutritious breakfast that will help them as they go about their school day.”
Cathy has also been involved in championing good indoor air quality for all Little Rock students and school employees. As President of the Association, Cathy sent teams of teachers to NEA HIN’s Indoor Environmental Quality Pre-Symposium to help raise their awareness about indoor environmental problems like mold and mildew. With training and support from NEA HIN’s staff, Cathy was able to take important steps to reduce the threat of air pollutants in Little Rock’s schools and to provide local members with important health and safety resources.
Cathy’s experience with NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom and Environmental Health programs has helped her realize how much the greater Little Rock community appreciates the value of NEA HIN’s collaboration with her local and its support of and contributions to the district. “Several community members have commented to me that these programs have changed their perception of ‘unions’ and ‘union work’ completely.”
Cathy likes to stay healthy by eating fresh fruit and vegetables at every opportunity and by walking on the treadmill at the gym at least four times a week. She also meditates daily to reduce stress.
Name: Carolyn Doggett
Job Title: Executive Director, California Teachers Association
Number of years you have been in this role: Executive Director for 18 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: Since 1967—46 years
Local Association: California Teachers Association
City: Burlingame State: CaliforniaCarolyn Doggett has been a longtime friend of NEA HIN’s Executive Director Jerald Newberry and NEA HIN. As part of Carolyn’s work as the Executive Director of the California Teachers Association (CTA), she has helped to continue a long-standing relationship with the California Endowment in a project called Healthy Kids. This project empowers teachers to serve as information resources that can raise parent awareness about low- or no-cost health, dental and vision insurance programs. This awareness can then increase student access to health care. Carolyn and CTA have also partnered with NEA HIN on work around HIV/AIDS education.
When Carolyn is not busy leading a large association, she loves to stay healthy by walking and spending time outside in her garden.
Name: Brent McKim
Job Title: President, Jefferson County Teachers Association
Number of years you have been in this role: Since 2001
How long you have been an NEA Member: Since 1991
Association Leadership Role(s): Current member of NEA Legislative Committee and served on the NEA Resolutions Committee
Local Association: Jefferson County Teachers Association
City: Louisville State: KentuckyBrent McKim has always understood the importance of good health and nutrition on students’ academic success. As President of the Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), Brent has been involved with NEA HIN for many years and says, “It has been a wonderful fortune to work with Jerry Newberry over the years. The support we have received from him and NEA HIN in regard to indoor air quality issues in our district has been incredible. A number of schools had severe mold and mildew issues, and, with support from NEA HIN, we were able to send members to an indoor air quality training and conference in Washington, DC. The training they received was very meaningful and important to our members in helping them to identify and solve health issues in their schools.”
Most recently, Brent and JCTA have been involved in NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom Program. The program has received positive feedback from educators and community members. Brent says that, “Breakfast in the Classroom is making a difference for kids, and that’s the bottom line for our members.”
In his free time, Brent enjoys walking with his wife and says walking is not only good for your health but is also a great release for stress.
Name: Elizabeth “Liz” Foster
Job Title: President, Guilford County Association of Educators and Special Education Teacher
Number of years you have been in this role: President for 2 years, teaching 19 years, working with folks with disabilities for over 30 years.
How long you have been an NEA Member: 10 years
Association Leadership Role(s): Current full-time release president of a large local association
Local Association: Guilford County Association of Educators
City: Greensboro and High Point State: North CarolinaElizabeth “Liz” Foster has always gone above and beyond to help those in need. As the economy crashed, Liz witnessed firsthand the impact of food insecurity among NEA members, children and families in her school district. “I felt that our local association needed to reach out and help our community through innovative programs and to do what is best for children.” Through her leadership and determination as President of the Guilford County Association of Educators, Liz helped bring NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program to twelve schools in her district. The program now provides more students with the nutritious breakfasts they need at the start of the school day.
Since the BIC program has been implemented in Guilford County, school data have shown that children’s academic achievement has increased while behavioral issues have decreased. Liz says, “The School Board has recognized the positive benefits of breakfast for all children, and has approved increasing the local budget to include Breakfast in the Classroom to three times as many schools next year in an ongoing initiative.” Liz, herself, is the definition of a leader. She saw a solvable problem and decided to do something about it.
When Liz has free time, one of her favorite things to do is to explore new cities and towns. She also loves walking on the beach for exercise.
Name: Princess Moss
Job Title: Teacher
Number of years you have been in this role: 21 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: Since joining as a student member in 1982
Association Leadership Role(s): NEA Executive Committee; Virginia Education Association Past President
Local Association: Louisa County Education Association
City: Mineral State: VirginiaPrincess Moss “walks the walk” when it comes to addressing health and safety issues for NEA members and their students. She was one of the first people selected to receive training from NEA HIN on how educators could reduce prejudice against people living with HIV and AIDS. Princess says, “As a trainer, I carried the message to local education associations, schools and churches, separating myth from fact, so that people with AIDS would be treated with respect and given the opportunities that they deserve, such as going to school and having a job.” Princess notes that one of the highlights of her work was being asked by officials at a community church to present the workshop to church members, and it went extremely well.
Her other involvement with school health and safety issues has been through working with NEA HIN’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) initiative. As President of the Virginia Education Association, Princess worked with members who were IAQ trainers and who took the time to share with their colleagues how the quality of the indoor air in our school buildings impacts teaching and learning. She was so impressed with the trainers’ passion for the topic that she worked to make sure that the training was available to all members across the state.
Princess and NEA HIN also worked closely together during the time of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Princess says, “I will never forget receiving a call from NEA HIN Executive Director, Jerry Newberry, who asked me how I was doing and what resources I needed in order to meet the needs of my members who were obviously emotionally impacted by the tragedy. Jerry walked me through information that I found very helpful when trying to assist our members in moving forward. Jerry also introduced me to the NEA HIN Crisis Guide, which also helped immensely.”
When Princess is not traveling, she tries to be healthy by eating well, exercising, and drinking at least six eight-ounce glasses of water per day.
Name: Sherry J. Morgan
Job Title: President, Knox County Education Association and Special Education Teacher
Number of years you have been in this role: 2 years as President and 29 years as a Teacher
How long you have been an NEA Member: 31 years
Association Leadership Role(s): President, Vice President, Secretary, Building Representative, PACE Chair, TEA-FCPE, Chair of various committees
Local Association: Knox County Education Association
City: Knoxville State: TennesseeSherry Morgan is an advocate for hungry students in her school district. As President of the Knox County Education Association, Sherry has worked with NEA HIN on the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) Program. Sherry says, “As a result of this collaboration, more than 2,245 students are eating breakfast because of this program.” Sherry has been an advocate of the program from the beginning and even co-led a BIC training at the Tennessee Coordinated School Health Conference, in order to encourage other districts to try alternative breakfast programs.
When Sherry is not busy helping her members, she enjoys walking and being outdoors.
Name: Carolyn Smith-Evans
Job Title: Teacher and Co-Founder/Chair of the NEA Healthy Schools Caucus
Number of years you have been in this role: Co-Founder/ Chair of the NEA Healthy Schools Caucus since 2001
Association Leadership Role(s): Co-Founder/ Chair of the NEA Healthy Schools Caucus
Local Association: Salem-Keizer Education Association
City: Salem State: OregonCarolyn Smith-Evans is a teacher in the Salem-Keizer School District in Oregon. She became active in the area of environmentally healthy schools when her son was chemically injured at school. She began her work as a parent activist and then worked with her local union association on these issues. Eventually, Carolyn worked at the national level within NEA to create awareness and training opportunities for NEA’s members. She was one of the 3 co-founders of the NEA Healthy Schools Caucus and has served in a leadership position within the caucus since its inception.
Carolyn graduated from Oregon State with a B.A. in Social Sciences and received a master’s degree in Psychology from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She received a National Healthy Schools Hero Award in 2007 from the Healthy Schools Network for “Leadership in Organized Labor.”
Name: Pat Nicholson
Job Title: Head Custodian
Number of years you have been in this role: 28 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: Since 1990
Association Leadership Role(s): Central Kitsap ESP 1st Vice President and Organizing Chair, Chairperson of the Washington EA Indoor Environmental Quality Work Team, NEA Board Director, Top recipient of the 2009 National C.L.E.A.N. Award, and 2012 Washington EA ESP of the Year.
Local Association: Central Kitsap Educational Support Professionals
City: Silverdale State: WashingtonPat Nicholson, head custodian at Brownsville Elementary in Bremerton, Washington, is a school custodian on a mission. After 28 years of cleaning classrooms, his goal is to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ) at schools throughout the state. Pat has written much of the custodial training material for Central Kitsap School District, and has trained other custodians for more than 20 years. His “cleaning for health” practices contributed to lower absentee rates at Brownsville Elementary than at neighboring schools, especially during the flu season.
Pat’s enthusiasm for “cleaning for health” is contagious. He has educated fellow staff members about removing asthma triggers in the classroom. He is also the only custodian to serve on the Washington Education Association’s IEQ Work Team, for which he authored the “Ten Best IEQ Practices” for the association’s Web site.
Students are also involved in helping Pat to realize his mission. Eight years ago, he decided to paint his floor scrubber to resemble a tiger in an attempt to connect with students. He named the scrubber “Fang.” Pat also recruited sixth grade students into the school’s recycling program and is teaching them about IEQ, as well. He’s been known to take at-risk students under his wing, and his mentorship helps students connect with school.
Outside of school, Nicholson and his wife own and operate Central Valley Lavender Farm in Poulsbo, Washington.
Name: Donna Nielsen
Job Title: School Bus Driver, Lead Driver Trainer, Safety Team Leader
Number of years you have been in this role: 26 years
How long you have been an NEA Member: 13 years
Association Leadership Role(s): Local Bargaining Chair, NEA Board of Director–ESP at Large, ISTA Board of Director
Local Association: La Porte ESP Association
City: La Porte State: IndianaDonna is an active NEA ESP member and has been working with NEA HIN on a number of school safety issues over the years. Within her school district, she has been involved in developing a school safety initiative that includes having a safety plan in place for each school building, and securing the participation of every person in the building in the plan. The plan also includes viewing school buses as an extension of school facilities, in case a tornado hits or there is a shooter/hostage situation on a school bus. Donna says, “NEA HIN’s School Crisis Guide is a valuable resource guide for all schools developing a crisis plan or reviewing the plan that is already in existence.”
As a bus driver, Donna stays healthy by using exercise as a means of getting students ready for the day before they enter school every morning. When the bus arrives and has some waiting time, Donna leads physical activity on the bus. She says they do, “stretching, bending, walking in place, running in place, dancing, etc. Personally, I use walking as a way to stay active, using every means possible–even parking at the last parking place at the store and walking.” Donna also plays piano and reads as a means of taking care of her mental and emotional health, and uses guided imagery meditation and massage therapy, as well.
Name: Tom Nicholas
Job Title: Treasurer of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA), President of the Manchester Education Association (MEA), School Social Worker
Number of years you have been in this role: 1 year as CEA Treasurer, 3 years as MEA President and 23 years as an educator.
How long you have been an NEA Member: 24 years
Association Leadership Role(s): Co-Chair of NEA GLBT Caucus, served on the Professional Standards and Practices Committee for NEA, served on GLBT Task Force, NEA Board of Director, NEA Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), Education International Board Elected
Local Association: Manchester Education Association
City: Manchester State: ConnecticutTom Nicholas and NEA HIN’s Executive Director Jerry Newberry met 18 years ago when Jerry did a GLBT training for educators. Since then, Tom has been an admirer of all of the health and safety work Jerry and NEA HIN have provided to NEA members. Specifically, when the Newtown tragedy occurred in December of 2012, Tom stated, “Jerry and NEA HIN were there for all Connecticut Education Association members and provided resources and support to grieving community members.”
Tom has also been involved with NEA HIN’s indoor air quality (IAQ) work and has helped spread awareness about the impact of poor IAQ on student’s ability to learn. Tom also sits on a committee in Connecticut that deals with all sorts of health issues for students. He is a huge fan of NEA HIN’s resources and his favorites include the Red Book and the Stomach Bug Book.
In his free time, Tom tries to work out and believes exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle. He is also a two-time Marathon runner and enjoys walking on the beach.