Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1505501
Featured Services, Programs Based on its unique needs, Hoover High School has integrated a number of successful student and family supports, among them: • Hoover Market, in partnership with Feeding San Diego; a variety of foodstuffs are free to students and available in classrooms as well as at the mar- ket. Special needs students and Hoover 's Health Academy students stock and distribute foods; educator and chef Tina Luu teaches nutrition and culinary arts with fresh produce and other ingre- dients from the market, and the food distribution center is open to the community twice a month. The market was started by teacher Elizabeth Lonnacker in 2022, after she noticed students were taking snacks she had in a classroom cupboard as "food for the weekend." She used project-based learning with students to help bring the mar- ket to fruition. The initiative addresses some of the student absentee problems as well, as many students hold part- time jobs to help their families pay for food, rent, etc., but whose jobs interfere with school. (See a recent video about the market at tinyurl.com/2jc5s8sm). • Organic school garden project • After-school programming with strong parental input, focusing on arts and music, science, etc. • At-risk student support through Youth Empowerment • Health center, offering health assessments, general assistance with chronic illnesses, immunizations, vision and hearing screening, family planning services, dental services; some services through La Maestra Community Health Center (on campus) • Mental health supports, through Mending Matters, offering drop-in and crisis services and Rady Children's Hospital, offering licensed therapists (both on campus) • Recovery services, through Union of Pan Asian Communities (on campus) • Laundry facilities, washing machines for student/family use (on campus) • College and career services, through Avenues for Success (on campus) "Having health services at Hoover benefits students because they have access in a timely manner, they can have their needs met and remain in school. It benefits parents who take less time off from work. They don't have to worry about transportation or hours. Everything's right here. … [I will soon have] a spot screener to test vision and screen students who would otherwise not be screened. It will take about 5 seconds to get a complete reading, and then provide information to a vision specialist for follow-up." —CANDACE GYURE, school nurse Below, students stock classrooms with items requested by teachers for their students — a variety of healthy snacks and other foods. 37 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3