Last week you met one of the fabulous staff members from HealthMPowers, an Atlanta based nonprofit whose mission is to promote healthy behaviors and environments by empowering students, school staff, and families to improve health and academic achievement. We are so impressed with the work of Health M Powers that we wanted to introduce you to another great staff member, Mary Kate Chapman.
OWG: How did you get interested in nutrition education?
Mary Kate: As a child, I was extremely overweight. Being an overweight little girl was not easy. I had a hard time participating in PE and sports because I was tired all the time and had absolutely no energy. Also, I got made fun of all the time because of my weight. In the 5th grade, I decided to make a change by eating healthier and exercising every day. When I was in college, I decided to share my story with others who were going through the same thing. I began working with youth in leadership development, and then I was led to HealthMPowers. Through this job I am able to share the good news of health and wellness.
OWG: What does your day to day job look like?
Mary Kate: My job consists of going to schools across the state of Georgia and teaching health education of all sorts: nutrition, physical activity, etc. Not only do I get to go into the classroom and work with students to help them learn about the healthier choices they can make, I also get to work with staff. At HealthMPowers we work to change the lives of students, staff, and families.
OWG: What are some creative ways you’ve seen OWG programming implemented in schools?
Mary Kate: The dolls are a favorite. One school used the boy doll to show kids how to stretch on the aerobics step (our schools are super creative!).
