Position: Physical Education / Health Teacher, Grades 3-8
School: Center City Petworth
School District: Center City Public Charter Schools
City, State: Washington DC, DC
Sam Daniel was nominated by Jeanie Alter.
Ms. Daniel, more notably known by students, parents, and community members as "Coach Sam," has committed herself to building a sustainable Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community model for her school over the last ten years. She has demonstrated a unique, inspiring commitment to students' individual growth and creating new and creative ways to address health inequity - all without seeking recognition.
Coach Sam has worked with PK - 8th-grade students, created and implemented both PE and health education curricula, instituted multiple partnerships to provide more access to physical activity and wellness programs for her students, and created inter-school sports competitions with other network schools, to name just a few of her many accomplishments over her years at Center City PCS - Petworth. However, the real value in her commitment to programming is the relationships she forms.
As the PE and Health educator on campus, she uniquely works with all students in every grade each year. This has positioned her in a space where she gets to know students from a young age and follows them throughout their elementary and middle school years. She simultaneously knows these students' siblings, cousins, and parents and maintains relationships as students move on to high school. The building of these relationships is what makes her such a special and unique educator. Her genuine connection with students allows her to meet individual and collective school needs. Not only have her relationships benefited the school's health and wellness culture, but her commitment to finding creative and sustainable approaches to partnership continues to strengthen the health and wellness of the whole school.
For example, she partnered with a community-based organization, Grassroots Health, to supplement her school's health education curriculum. This organization has partnered with the school since 2017, providing three years of health education and allowing students to work with division 1 college athletes to learn health in a new way, have near-peer role models to ask challenging health questions, and strengthen the emphasis placed on health education for students. This is a partnership, free of charge to the school, that she sought out and continues to manage. Additional programs she has instituted include the Washington Area Bike Association, Washington Area Youth Garden, and many more.
Coach Sam also is committed to providing students with opportunities to try activities and sports that they don't necessarily have access to at home. She aims to ensure students learn to swim, try sports like ice skating and skiing, and discover an appreciation for the outdoors by gardening and going on various nature-based field trips.