Beef Checkoff RD Honored by New York State Family and Consumer Science Educators
New York Beef Council’s Director of Nutrition Education, Cindy Chan Phillips, R.D., received the Ellen Swallow Richards award from the New York State Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators (NYSAFCSE) on July 24th. The award ceremony took place at the annual NYSFCSE Professional Development Conference on July 24th.
The award is given to a
professional outside of the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) field, who has
made an outstanding contribution and significant impact to the field of Family
and Consumer Sciences education at the New York state level.
Phillips has been active in
speaking at regional professional development conferences on emerging nutrition
subjects, and managed the popular Beef for the Classroom mini-grant program for
years. The Beef for the Classroom offers $100 to teach beef in the classrooms
for schools operating within tight budgets.
“We commend her for her leadership in empowering students with educational programs and we admire the passion and enthusiasm she brings”, Robin Brenner, Central NY Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators Coordinator. “Receiving the award from the educators is a huge honor. They work tirelessly every day to educate the whole child. To help them stay on the leading edge is gratifying!” said Phillips.
At their annual conference, the teachers further explored beef nutrition and sustainability with Phillips in two education sessions. In the session titled “3 Ways Nutrition Improves Learning”, they learned the importance of key nutrients, such as iron in beef, to help students develop positive cognitive growth. In the “Beef in a Healthy and Sustainable Diet” session, the attendees learned that environmentally, cattle are unique in our food system because they upcycle inedible grass and plants into high-quality protein that families enjoy. The attendees were highly engaged on how they would apply the knowledge in their classrooms. The interaction continued at the beef booth. The attendees received nutrition handouts and summer grilling recipes, as well as inquiring about participating in the Beef for the Classroom program.
Phillips’ work with the NYBC is financially supported by the Kansas and Nebraska Beef Councils. For more information on the event, contact Cindy Chan Phillips, R.D., [email protected].