Farmington's Olwell, Sinha recognized by Dakota County officials

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Dakota County Board of Commissioners presented three annual Public Health Achievement Awards at the April 10 meeting. The awards are presented each year around National Public Health Week to recognize the contributions of people and organizations that work to build and sustain healthy families and communities in Dakota County.

Two of three winners are from Farmington.

Jack Olwell has taught physical education at North Trail Elementary School and Farmington School District 192 for more than 35 years. He is committed to his students and their success. Olwell advocates for understanding the connection between academic success, obesity reduction and physical activity through sharing his experiences and research. He has developed a curriculum that embeds literacy components into active games to improve reading for struggling students, and has developed a similar model for students challenged in math.

He has testified before the Minnesota House Education Committee and received accolades from Sen. Al Franken on his innovation and leadership. Olwell has spoken to groups throughout the state on promoting health and academic success for students.

Natasha Sinha, a junior at Farmington High School, has been a strong leader and role model as a youth teacher for 4H. Sinha has taught “Alcohol and Tobacco Decisions” to fourth grade students, “Internet Safety” to fifth graders, and “Character Counts” to help second graders learn about being responsible and respectful citizens.

She is a strong advocate for teaching young children the importance of making good decisions throughout their lives, and has reached over 800 young children with her messages. Sinha became a teen teacher with 4H because she wanted to help make their futures bright. Just to teach someone to not use drugs can change how they live their life.

Tags: announcements, community, education, farmington