- Documentary focuses on addressing social determinants of
health through gardening curriculum in the classroom for
students
- Film also selected as nominee for ‘Indiana Spotlight’ as
Holy Angels Catholic School in Indianapolis and Moores Hill in
Dearborn County are featured
- Green Bronx Machine and Anthem Inc. partner to expand
curriculum across the country to bring hope, health and opportunity
to communities and students who need it most
The Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis has
announced Generation Growth, a documentary film focused on health
and educational outcomes in low-income areas across America, has
been selected for ‘Documentary Features’ and is a nominee for the
‘Indiana Spotlight Award’ for its upcoming film festival from
October 8 – 18, 2020.
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the full release here:
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Green Bronx Machine and Anthem Inc.
partner to bring hope, health and opportunity to communities and
students who need it most through documentary film, Generation
Growth, which has been selected to the Heartland International Film
Festival in Indianapolis from October 8 – 18, 2020. (Graphic:
Business Wire)
Generation Growth takes a journey across the country to address
the social determinants of health in some of the most vulnerable
communities through an interactive gardening curriculum that allows
students to grow vegetables in the classroom, helping them eat
better, be more engaged with school and give them pathways for
jobs. With the support and partnership of Anthem Inc., a health
benefits company, Stephen Ritz, founder of Green Bronx Machine, is
able to deliver on his mission to expand around the country, in
places like Indiana, to bring hope, health and opportunity to those
communities and students who need it most. From 3rd grade to high
school students, to rural and urban communities, to students with
disabilities and youth in foster care, Generation Growth is
dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope.
Social determinants of health continue to be barriers to good
health outcomes. These conditions include poverty, housing, poor
water quality, transportation, social isolation, lack of
employment, lack of access to healthy foods, lack of family
cohesion and lack of education. Generation Growth explores these
challenges that are impacting so many in Indiana and across the
country.
Research indicates that poor nutrition, often a result of food
insecurity, is a leading risk factor for many chronic conditions,
including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and other
diet-related diseases. And food insecurity is reported to cost the
healthcare system an additional $53 billion a year. In
Indianapolis, 1 in 4 children live in poverty, 23% of children lack
consistent access to food, 21% of households use food assistance
and 90% of food consumed is grown out of state.
“It’s hard work raising children, and a lot harder when you’re
in poverty, when caring and consistency can be at a premium. When I
came across the work that Stephen was doing — teaching children
unfairly disadvantaged by their environments, lacking only in
opportunity rather than aptitude, and creating a pathway for health
and success in life — I felt like this was a story needing to be
told,” said Mu Sun, Generation Growth Director. “I wanted people to
understand the breadth of the compounding issues that hamper
development of children in poverty, and the herculean efforts put
forth by teachers, such as Stephen and those who implement his
program in the film, to provide a caring and loving environment for
them to overcome those issues. These children have done nothing
wrong besides being born into poverty rather than affluence, and
it’s up to educators everywhere to make sure their misfortune
doesn’t negatively affect their future.”
“There are more people sick from food than have access to it and
that is absolutely unacceptable. It’s my job to make sure that
every student and child gets a perfect plate of healthy, nutritious
and fresh food,” said Stephen Ritz, the main feature in Generation
Growth. "Zip code and skin color should not determine outcomes in
life – quality education should. Our Green Bronx Machine Classroom
Curriculum has proven to be a data-driven tool that transforms
school performance and generates healthy outcomes for students.
Together, we grow vegetables, our vegetables grow students, our
students grow schools, and our schools grow happy, healthy,
resilient communities that love eating and sharing their
vegetables. This film celebrates teachers, communities and all that
is possible when we come together in the best interests of our
children. I'm proud and honored to be doing this work."
“We’ve been grateful to partner with Green Bronx Machine to help
further the vision of building healthier communities through
inspiring educational and workforce opportunities,” said Dr.
Kimberly Roop, Anthem Indiana Medicaid President. “Students learn
hands-on how to grow, eat, and enjoy vegetables for themselves,
their school and their community while also learning about math,
science, and English in a fresh and engaging way. Our commitment to
person-centered, holistic care drives us to innovate and develop
community relationships that expand access to resources, create new
opportunities, and ultimately improve the well-being and quality of
life for people in the communities we serve.”
“Green Bronx Machine’s model combines the use of aeroponic
gardens with evidence-based, scientific study and is the only
garden, wellness and nutrition program that can be fully integrated
into core curriculum,” said Justin Armitage, Holy Angels Catholic
School Principal, a Notre Dame ACE Academy based in Indianapolis,
and featured in Generation Growth. “Our scholars and team at Holy
Angels have implemented the curriculum in our classrooms and
community. The model has transformed how we think about food and
nutrition, and more importantly what we choose to eat. Through this
programming, we are able to address childhood obesity, scholar
motivation, and academic performance. Scholars are empowered to
learn and grow every day.”
“Nutrition is such an important aspect in all of our lives and
this collaboration between Anthem and Green Bronx Machine educates
our local youth on how smart decisions around healthy foods can
make a lasting impact,” said Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “By
implementing this curriculum into the classroom, we help spread
wellness into Hoosier homes and neighborhoods, promoting healthier
opportunities for students and their families.”
"Generation Growth is inspiring, a game changer in how we can
teach and motivate kids,” said Paul McGuire Grimes, Rotten
Tomatoes-Approved Critic and Member of the Critics Choice
Association. “Using gardening as a tool to teach students true life
lessons provides evidence of the hard work they had a real hand in
cultivating."
Generation Growth will have a drive-in socially distanced
premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival in
Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Tibbs
Screen 2. The documentary film is suitable for all audiences. For
drive-in showing tickets and placing orders please visit here.
Please note, drive-in pricing is per person, not per vehicle. The
film will also be available online in the Heartland International
Virtual Film Festival for purchase from Oct. 8 – Oct. 25 which can
be ordered here.
The Heartland International Film Festival is Indiana’s largest
and longest-running film festival and will celebrate its 29th
anniversary this October across Indianapolis. Since the inaugural
Festival in 1992, Heartland has grown from a 4-day event with less
than 20 films to an 11-day celebration featuring more than 100
independent films, 200 visiting filmmakers and 300 film
screenings.
Generation Growth was also selected for this year’s virtual and
drive-in hybrid edition of the critically acclaimed Hot Springs
Documentary Film Festival from Oct. 9 – 17. For more information on
Generation Growth and to view the documentary film trailer, please
visit http://www.generationgrowthdoc.com.
About Green Bronx Machine
Green Bronx Machine builds healthy, equitable, and resilient
communities through inspired education, local food systems, and
21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds
and harvesting hope, our school-based model using urban agriculture
aligned to key school performance indicators grows healthy students
and healthy schools to transform communities that are fragmented
and marginalized into neighborhoods that are inclusive and
thriving. We believe that healthy students help drive healthy
schools, and that healthy schools are at the heart of healthy
communities. We envision growing healthy communities where those
who are “apart from” will become “part of” new solutions that
benefit 100% of society; a world where people do not have to leave
their community to live, learn and earn in a better one. Together,
we can grow something greater! Ready, set, GROW! For more
information, please visit https://greenbronxmachine.org/ or follow
@greenBXmachine on Twitter.
About Anthem, Inc.
Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to
improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler.
Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 108
million people, including more than 42 million within its family of
health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and
inclusive partner. For more information, please visit
www.antheminc.com or follow @AnthemInc on Twitter.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201006005118/en/
Media Contact: Buddy Castellano 651-219-1818
buddy.castellano@anthem.com
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