For Universities For Employers About

General Education

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Nutrition Edition

Image from

Kathryn deBros December 23, 2014

Learning doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom. Supplement your child’s knowledge with these activities to nurture her love of nutrition.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

Article continues here

The kids who are successful in school are those who remain curious even after the last bell rings, who notice the world around them, and who make connections among subjects and ideas. There are millions of ways to keep minds of all ages active and engaged outside the classroom.

The following article is part of a Noodle series about how to integrate learning into everyday life in order to instill a love of knowledge in your kids.

The Nutrition Edition

Learning about nutrition is key to helping kids make healthy choices that will positively affect them for the rest of their lives. If you want to help your kids learn more about what they’re eating, try integrating these fun nutrition activities at home.

# Cook together.

This is one of the best ways to teach kids about nutrition. Cooking is also a valuable life skill, and it brings families closer together. Kids will appreciate having a role in preparing what they eat, and they'll build confidence as they share the things they make. Older kids will also enjoy demonstrating their independence.

# Create fun challenges with your food.

See how many colors you can get on your plate with different fruits and veggies. Make faces out of peas and potatoes, or have a blind-folded taste test to see if you can tell the difference among red, green, and yellow apples. Get creative!

# Play online.

There are some great online games kids can play to learn more about nutrition. For example, Dining Decisions is a game in which players must pick out healthy options at the school cafeteria. Foodchamps.org has fun online games that teach nutrition for kids ages 2–8; the site also features activity sheets, recipes, and artwork.

For older kids, Smash Your Food is a game in which players learn what’s really in their food. Users are asked to estimate how much sugar, salt, and oil is in different dishes, and then the food is virtually smashed to reveal what’s inside. Kids get to compare their estimates, the actual contents, and the recommended quantities of the ingredients in each food.

# Take kids to the grocery store with you.

Go on a scavenger hunt to find a veggie of every color, a cereal that has fewer than 11 grams of sugar, or a barbecue sauce with a first ingredient that isn’t high fructose corn syrup. Or better yet...

# Go to the farmer’s market.

Meet the farmers, and chat about veggies. Try something you’ve never tried before. Look for carrots with legs or tiger-striped tomatoes. Allow your child to help pick out your dinner.

# Read books about nutrition.

Look for books that encourage healthy eating and living. PBS has a list of books for kids of different ages. The National Association for the Education of Young Children also offers a list with books that cover a variety of health-related topics, including oral health, mental health, and nutrition.

# Measure and portion.

Using Choose My Plate, a website with games and guidelines about nutritious eating, have your child help you measure out appropriate serving sizes. Using a scale is always cool, though most kids will just be excited to help out with dinner and apply what they know about how their plates should look.

# Do arts and crafts.

Make potato stamps . . . or carrot, or apple, or celery. Make veggies out of salt dough or felt for continued food play.

# Garden.

You can sprout food scraps on your windowsill — try putting the top of a carrot in a shallow dish of water, and watch it grow. Radishes are also very easy to grow, if you are a gardening novice. If you have a little free time and dirt, you can grow a variety of healthy snacks and dinners. And nothing tastes quite as good to kids as something they just picked!

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Civics Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Geography Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The History Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Language Arts Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Math Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Music Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Science Edition

Sneak Learning into Everyday Life: The Visual Art Edition