There aren't many 12 year-olds who can land a $1,500 grant, but that's just what Branford's Zaide Schlesinger has done – together with being named a CT Student Ambassador. Both honors arrived through Fuel Up To Play 60 (FUTP60), a program of the National Dairy Council and the NFL.

Schlesinger found out she'd won the $1,500 grant while attending the four-day National Fuel Up To Play 60 Summit at Perdue University in Indiana this summer.

"At the summit, on the last day, they actually announced the awards and I was the first person they named, so I was really surprised!" said Schlesinger.

The Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) seventh-grader plans to apply the grant toward her winning Farm to School proposal, a multi-pronged local food growing/community support project, said WIS Fit Week program advisor Lynda Mollow.

"The Walsh administration is being very supportive of her growing project and is expecting to integrate it into their Life Skills curriculum," said Mollow.  "Our community partners at The Stand [restaurant] have enthusiastically joined the project and will be providing support to grow seedlings in the spring. Zaide intends to distribute herb and vegetable seedlings to community gardens that distribute fresh produce to Branford families."

Schlesinger has been involved in the WIS Fit Week program (which follows FUTP60 ideas for keeping kids active and healthy) since fifth grade.

Nationally, FUTP60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and the NFL in collaboration with the USDA. Among other healthy and active lifestyle options, FUTP60 encourages kids to be active at least 60 minutes a day.  Funding in CT is supported by Dairy Farm Families of Connecticut, in conjunction with the NFL, said Heidi Harkopf, Director of New England Dairy & Food Council (NEDFC) Nutrition Programs.

On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Schlesinger met with Harkopf and posed for a photo with an oversized $1,500 check for WIS, to appear as part of this year's NEDFC CT Green Pasture Award Winners poster campaign. The Green Pasture Award honors an outstanding dairy family in each of the six New England states. The CT award goes to Enfield's Smyth Trinity Farm in this year, said Harkopf.

"Since our farmers support FUTP60, we saw it as a natural fit to feature our student ambassadors on the poster; as a way to emphasize that milk in schools is local and that our dairy farmers financially support improving the health and wellness environment in school through the FUTP60 program," said Harkopf.

Drinking milk "came naturally" for Schlesinger as a little one, said her mom, Penelope Schlesinger, adding, "...she's always been a huge fan; and not just milk -- we're yogurt and cottage cheese people too."

At WIS, Schlesinger will fill her Student Ambassador role by helping lead this year's Fit Week student group. In addition to a fun, fit week experienced school-wide, the group plans to put together some other efforts for the rest of the year, including a late October milk drive at WIS to benefit Branford Food Pantry.

Mollow helped bring FUTP60 over to WIS two years ago when her son, William, arrived at WIS as a fifth grader from Tisko Elementary School, which had instituted a FUTP60 group. Lynda Mollow said WIS Fit Week has become hugely popular and added WIS students are now definitely linked in with FUTP60's message and opportunities for kids. Last year, William Mollow's video entry into NFL's FUTP60's "Super Kid" contest, with support from online voting, helped him to go on to be one of three finalists to win a chance to bring the ball onto the field at the Super Bowl.  While he didn't get to walk onto the field, FUTP60 rewarded Mollow with a school visit from New England Patriots star Duron Harmon and mascot Pat the Patriot. See the story here

Lynda Mollow encourages kids to enter into this year's Super Kid contest, which opened on Sept. 22 and ends Oct. 19. Kids need to submit a 60-second original video. More information is at www.nflrush.com

Schlesinger, a Patriot's fan who was thrilled when Harmon came to WIS last year, said she definitely encourages all kids to get on board with the many opportunities and healthy lifestyle options offered through FUTP60.

"It's really good to be active and it's good to be a leader at your school, so if you ever get an opportunity like this, definitely take them," said Schlesinger.