Powerful things are blossoming in Kingston - fresh, delicious meals, creative programs, and a whole lot of community love. Through the Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) initiative and Live Well Kingston, we’re coming together to shape a city that’s healthier, more connected, and full of possibility. Our special edition Kingston Spotlights newsletters honor those turning vision into action, amplifies the impact of CHSC funded projects, and brings you into what’s emerging.

Read on for a snapshot of these individual's stories, but also be sure to check our Live Well Kingston Instagram and Facebook pages daily as we share them with more depth, more photos, and more heart.

Spotlight Stories: Community in Action

In Kingston’s classrooms, every lesson is an opportunity for transformation. In the rhythm of a child’s day, there is steady magic unfolding, where learning is woven into the very fabric of daily life. Beyond the textbooks, the food they eat, nature-filled classrooms, and the communities they build together all play a part in shaping the child. Across these various projects below, education is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is a living practice, an act of care and connection where children gain knowledge, confidence and support to shape their own health and future.

At JFK Elementary School, food is more than lunch; it is a language of care, curiosity, and community. Culinary school may have shaped Emily’s early relationship with food, but it’s in her home kitchen and school cafeteria where that knowledge blooms. Alongside their children, the Daniels family grows everything from strawberries to squash, cultivating not just plants, but patience, joy, and a deep rooted respect for food. That same reverence guided them to the school’s wellness committee, where they helped bring Kingston Eats Harvests of the Month to life. Taste tests transformed into opportunities for students to explore new foods without fear, empowering them to choose for themselves. “We encourage trying the food rather than liking it,” Emily explains. “That made kids feel safe to try more in the future.”

Their care ripples beyond the cafeteria. Spinach Fest, an annual celebration of leafy greens, has become a beloved event, marked by moments like a child proudly asking for raw spinach to take home. JFK Elementary School now hosts free farmers' markets, which offer fresh produce and recipes to families, bridging classrooms and kitchens, cafeterias and homes. “Food has a way of bringing people together,” Emily says, “helping people feel safe, included, and cared for.” Their work is a reminder that when kids are trusted to explore food, they learn to trust themselves; and when schools nurture wellness, communities grow stronger from the roots up.

For More Information on JFK Elementary School: https://jfk.kingstoncityschools.org/

For More Information on the Kingston City School District Wellness Committee: https://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/events/2023/10/18/kcsd-health-wellness-committee

At Meagher Preschool, learning is an adventure that begins with curiosity and moves through play, creativity, and connection to nature. Led by Principal Jana Conti, this inclusive early childhood education program serves 124 children at no cost to caregivers, offering literacy, science, art, math, and more in classrooms designed to follow the lead of young minds. Some of the most important learning happens outside. Just beyond the classroom doors, children climb, cook, swing, and balance in a vibrant forest space equipped with hammocks, slacklines, maker stations, and forest kitchens. It’s a place where children are encouraged to take healthy risks, stretch their imaginations, and develop confidence in their bodies and abilities. This is thanks in part to Meagher's partnership with Acorn Waldorf School through their Neighboring Tree Project (NTP) grant. Through this collaboration, every student and teacher is equipped with essential outdoor gear—rain pants, snow suits, jackets, boots, and gloves—and educators have received years of professional development to confidently lead learning in nature, rain or shine.

“Many of our kids don’t always have access to outdoor spaces,” Jana explains. “We’re giving them the chance to take risks in a safe, supported way... and just be kids.” With a focus on healthy cooking, planting projects, and joyful movement, the Meagher team is creating an early childhood experience rooted in wellness, play, and possibility. Their approach is a powerful reminder: healthy communities start with supported children who are given the space to grow, explore, and thrive.

For More Information on Meagher Pre-K: https://www.kingstoncityschools.org/ourdistrict/pre-kindergarten-program/about-meagher-pre-k

At Aunt Jenn’s Early Learning Center, growth happens in more ways than one. Under the leadership of Director Melissa Parker, children are learning to care for themselves and their communities by digging into gardens, exploring new foods, and engaging with the natural world. “It’s not just about providing food,” Melissa explains. “It’s about teaching kids how to make healthier choices.” Whether harvesting mint or planting tomatoes, the hands-on approach helps kids understand the relationship between what they grow, eat, and how they feel.

Melissa’s work is deeply rooted in love and legacy. Aunt Jenn was a guiding force in her life, a woman who cared for generations of Kingston’s children. “This work is a way of continuing her legacy,” Melissa shares. Today, that legacy lives on in the everyday moments that make Aunt Jenn’s a place where children feel safe, seen, and supported. Families are central to that vision, with Melissa working closely with caregivers through regular updates, photos, and events that make the learning journey a shared one. What’s being cultivated here isn’t just a love of vegetables or a sense of adventure; it’s a generation of confident, curious, and cared for learners.

For More Information on Aunt Jenn's Learning Center: Call (845) 383-1060

What if the school cafeteria could be a classroom? That’s the vision guiding Joe Baganz, Director of Food Services at Kingston City School District (KCSD), as he reshapes the way students eat and learn at school. When Joe first stepped into the role, most meals were processed and prepackaged. With his leadership and a web of community partnerships, students across the district are experiencing something radically different: fresh, seasonal meals and real engagement with the food on their plates.

With the help of local growers and educators, Joe has brought more locally sourced produce into school kitchens and more food education into classrooms. Students are expanding their palates, discovering where their food comes from, and building habits that support long term wellness. “It’s not just about feeding kids,” Joe says. “It’s about nourishing them for the future.” His advice for others hoping to shift school food culture? “Start small, and keep going. Do what you can handle. Keep moving forward.” Through Joe’s commitment, school food in Kingston is becoming more than just a meal, it’s an entry point to health, sustainability, and community connection.

For More Information on Kingston City School District Food Service: https://www.kingstoncityschools.org/departments/food-services

At Chambers Elementary in Kingston, Principal Kate Berardi is building a school where wellness, belonging, and joy are at the heart of every day. A Kingston native herself, Kate leads with empathy, creating the kind of school she once needed as a child. “I didn’t feel seen growing up,” she says. “I want something different for our students. I want them to feel known, valued, and loved, and that goes for their families too.”

With support from CHSC, Kingston Eats, and KCSD Food Service Director Joe Baganz, Chambers has reimagined what school food can be. Gone are bland, processed meals. In their place are vibrant lunches, weekly fresh fruit and vegetable tastings, and a culture that celebrates curiosity around food. “You cannot learn unless you feel good,” Kate explains. “Wellness is at the core of everything we do.”

That commitment extends outdoors, too. This year, Chambers opened the “Bee-utiful Trail,” a nature path with 18 interactive stops, one for each classroom, designed to spark movement and connection with the land. “It’s not just for students; it’s for families,” Kate says. “We want them to know this space belongs to them.” Kate is fostering an environment where all students feel safe, all families are embraced, and every child has the foundation to flourish.

For More Information on Chambers Elementary School: https://ch.kingstoncityschools.org/

Community Impact at a Glance

Community-led advocacy along with support from Creating Healthy Schools and Communities has helped Kingston make real progress. Here are some of the highlights over the past 4 years of the CHSC grant:

Students now have access to fresher, more nutritious school meals, with locally sourced produce featured in cafeteria menus through Harvest of the Month and USDA programs.
Children are exploring new foods with confidence thanks to taste tests, cooking activities, and hands-on gardening in early care centers and schools.
Families can bring home fresh ingredients from free school-based farmers markets, bridging classroom lessons and home kitchens.
Early care centers and schools are supported through wellness and nutrition programming, with outdoor classrooms, forest kitchens, and movement based learning shaping early childhood development.
Food service operations across the district have shifted from processed meals to freshly prepared options, with a growing culture of food education and student empowerment.
Chambers Elementary launched the Bee-utiful Trail, an 18-stop nature path developed to promote movement, exploration, and community use beyond the classroom.

About CHSC & Live Well Kingston

Left to right: Tracy Snyder (Family of Woodstock), Emily Flynn (City of Kingston), Ninette Warner (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County), Kristin Kessler (City of Kingston)

Funded through the New York State Department of Health, Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) supports long-term, sustainable changes to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and reduce health disparities. In Kingston, CHSC partners with Live Well Kingston, a coalition of community members, city staff, and local organizations supporting communities in making their own healthy choices and creating spaces where people can invest in their well-being.

Shape a World Where Healthy Kids Grow Into Powerful Learners

Whether you’re sowing a seed, nurturing a child, or feeding your community, you are part of this story. The health of our city begins with how we care for one another. Stay connected. Stay involved.

Here are a few ways that you can plug in:

Liked what you saw? Check out the project page at https://livewellkingston.org/kingston-spotlights/.
Join the City of Kingston's Live Well Kingston Commission or one of its focus teams by Writing To Us.
Keep us with us by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Consider joining your district's or school's wellness committee.
Have questions or ideas about CHSC? Reach out to us!