 Our Speaker Deb Hymers  John Boyd & Deb Hymers  Howie Shikaze Thanks Our Speaker | Following his report from the Major Donations committee, John Boyd introduced our speaker, Rotarian Deb Hymers, founder of NSTEP. Recognizing that good nutrition and exercise are necessary for learning, Deb founded Nutrition Students Teachers Exercising with Parents to provide hands-on nutrition instruction and physical activity to students in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Her inspiration for founding NSTEP was a 2002 report from the United Nations stating that our children represent the first generation that will not live longer than their parents because of preventable nutrition-related diseases. NSTEP has developed a number of programs to bring nutrition and physical activity to the broadest audience.
NSTEP has been working with Tsuut'ina Education and Tsuut'ina Health for several years to create Tsuut'ina translations of NSTEP materials, including a Tsuut'ina and English colouring book for Grade 1 that builds on the strengths of the nation's culture, and ties in with Grades 3 and 4 diabetes prevention initiatives. Building on this experience, NSTEP materials are being translated into Tryginia (spoken in the highlands of Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia), Dinka (spoken in South Sudan), French and Spanish. Deb acknowledged the club's support of NSTEP, as we contributed to the founding of NSTEP through a major donation. We continue to support NSTEP schools in Forest Lawn and Vista Heights through the Community Hubs initiative. At the conclusion of her talk, Howie Shikaze thanked Deb Hymers for a most informative presentation. |