New Normal: Turbulence & Disruption

Adapting Through Complexity

In 2022, the world witnessed a whirlwind of global events that left an indelible mark on history. War erupted abroad, while at home and across the globe, people navigated an emotional tide of hope and despair, progress and setbacks. Complexity became the new norm—and with it, a growing urgency to build systems that could meet the moment with resilience and care.

Rooted in Hope

In our small but determined corner of the world, WiseTribe began the year with high hopes and a renewed commitment to the belief that Food Is Medicine. January kicked off with the launch of our first farm-to-school market at SouthTech Preparatory Academy—and it sold out. The excitement was palpable as families rushed to place advance orders, signaling a growing appetite for fresh, healing foods and healthier lifestyles. When our dedicated farm partner later paused their season to rest and recharge, we embraced the moment as a reminder that regeneration—of soil, systems, and people—is part of the path toward lasting well-being.

Responding with Flexibility

While Hurricane Ian largely spared Palm Beach County in September 2022, it sent shockwaves across the state—and our school year. The storm struck just as we prepared to complete the Outdoor Learning Classroom (made possible by Impact 100 Men) with Home Depot’s volunteer corps. Their efforts were redirected to the Gulf Coast, and supply chain disruptions re-emerged just as we thought they were behind us. This project stalled, not to resume until spring 2023.

Recalibrating for Readiness

As we navigated a post-pandemic learning environment, the most urgent needs were not academic—but emotional, cognitive, and physiological. Learning loss, strained mental health, and widespread dysregulation in school communities demanded a shift in our priorities.

The original vision for the Outdoor Learning Classroom—centered on STEM enrichment—evolved into a space for healing, reconnection, and resilience-building. We responded by integrating holistic health education into classrooms, teaching youth, families, and teachers about the foundations of metabolic health and the microbiome's critical role in immunity, mood, and cognitive function.

Our programming introduced non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) practices to support nervous system regulation and emphasized the link between restorative sleep and academic performance. We also explored food-as-medicine approaches, offering experiences with fermented foods, herbal remedies, and essential oils. By embedding these practices into the rhythm of the school day, we helped cultivate healthier learning environments—ones where students could better self-regulate.

Evolving with Purpose

With support from Impact 100 Men of Palm Beach County, we reimagined the Outdoor Learning Classroom as a sanctuary for wellness -- centering the mental, emotional, and physical health of students, educators, and families. The space became a living classroom for breathwork, mindfulness, and nature-based practices that supported self-regulation and stress relief. Students used the garden to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves and the natural world.

Forward with Resilience

What follows is a celebration of how, even amid upheaval, we adapted, grew, and planted new seeds of transformation. Thank you for standing with WiseTribe in the journey toward a healthy, wise future.

Hear from students and teachers how the Outdoor Learning Classroom, made possible by Impact 100 Men PBC, has positively impacted them.

Fostering Wellness with Nature

Our Highlights

With you by our side, WiseTribe achieved more than we imagined.

Thanks to an outdoor learning classroom Impact 100 Men PBC made possible, 540 students and 65 staff from SouthTech Preparatory Academy gained the opportunity to learn, teach, relax, reflect, and connect with each other and nature.
286 hours went to educating approximately 320 middle school students on Food Citizenship principles and actions, such as cooking your own food, using food as medicine, growing food, and why healthy soil is vital to being healthy and having a strong immune system.
56 sixth-grade Medical Academy students received 146 consecutive hours learning about holistic health practices for longevity.
A middle school parent joined us as an advocate and facilitator of youth wellness.
First Jr. WiseTriber graduates from college. Mitha Matilus received a degree in health sciences from Florida International University and planning to next pursue a degree in nursing.
Thanks to the generosity of WiseTribe supporters, Ferrari Bernadotte—a dedicated Jr. WiseTriber and first-generation college student—secured the final $9,000 he needed to start college and pursue his dream of becoming a football coach and youth leader.
10 high school students and their families cooked at home using Crockpots, whole foods, and WhatsApp coaching during a five-week Food Citizenship program with Love, Hope, and Healing's first summer camp.
Key supporters gathered for a Wisdom Exchange on Mental Health to hear the Co-Founder of the charlie fund, Shelly Himmelrich, share the story of suddenly losing her son, Charlie, to suicide

Thank you to all our supporters -donors, volunteers, partners, parents and youth. We are forged together in a shared vision of a healthy, wise future.

Cultivating Family Wellness

Meet Merecedes Williams, our family wellness liaison

Meet Mercedes Williams, our family wellness liaison.

One of the most impactful additions to our team this year was Mercedes Williams, a devoted SouthTech Preparatory Academy parent who stepped into the specially created role of Youth and Family Wellness Liaison, made possible by funding from Impact 100 Men. Mercedes brought incredible heart, creativity, and lived family wisdom to our school wellness efforts at both SouthTech and Carver Middle School.

Her breathwork sessions gave students easy, effective ways to manage stress—whether calming nerves before a test or boosting focus when energy was low. These were practical tools they could carry with them for life. The students truly enjoyed their time with Mrs. Mercedes and looked forward to every session.

She shared that working with WiseTribe made her think about food as a powerful vehicle for change and prompted shifts in family behaviors. After dinner, her family started taking 10-minute walks together to lower their glucose levels.

Although she and her family moved to Orlando after the school year, Mercedes's presence left a lasting mark. We’re happy to share that she is now a wellness liaison at a Montessori school in Orlando. We are thrilled she continues to support youth wellness in meaningful ways.

Keep going to learn what else you helped accomplish this year!

Food Citizenship

WiseTribe, united for a healthy and wise food future

WiseTribe’s Food Citizenship programming makes learning meaningful by connecting science, math, and civics to real-world food experiences. Through both classroom and after-school activities, students began to see food not just as nourishment, but as a powerful tool for change—shaping personal health, influencing family habits, and addressing larger planetary challenges. Students stepped into leadership roles within their homes and communities by linking everyday choices to broader systems.

To expand this impact, we began laying the groundwork for a Food Citizenship Institute at SouthTech—an innovative, cross-disciplinary model integrating food education across STEM, medical, culinary, and science subjects. While we made meaningful progress through teacher collaboration and early pilot projects, the effort was challenged by post-pandemic stress and instability within schools. Though the full vision was not yet realized, our work planted seeds for a healthier school culture and introduced students to lifelong wellness habits rooted in mindfulness, food awareness, and self-leadership.

Food Citizenship Outcomes:

12,300 lbs of food to produce hands-on lessons, whole food kits, and food security.
2,332 people received food through our Food Citizenship learning programming
455 lbs of food waste composted, bringing our total to over 27,455 lbs of food rescued to date
286 hours devoted to Food Citizenship learning experiences, related to topics such as gut health, healthy eating, growing food, building soil, and regenerative farming
119 lbs of food harvested

Learning

At WiseTribe, we see life as a series of learning adventures that shape who we become. Our approach helps students connect with their Future Self—a vision of who they’re becoming—and use this relationship as a compass for growth.

By forming a relationship with this Future Self, students gain a trusted inner mentor—one who helps them build self-awareness, align with their values, and make choices that move them toward their highest potential. This process nurtures self-trust, which is essential for navigating uncertainty and growing into strong, purpose-driven individuals.

Blending this practice with growth mindset principles—believing that abilities grow with effort—helps students view life’s challenges as stepping stones rather than roadblocks. When we connect these mindsets to meaningful topics like food, well-being, and the environment, students become more engaged, resilient, and ready to make a difference. This is self-mastery in action: learning that integrates mind, body, and heart to help young people thrive in a complex world.

Learning Outcomes

Over 113 hours were applied to building growth mindsets, helping youth craft a vision for their Future Self, and cultivating resilience as a muscle built with repetition and practice.
We benefited from 88 high-value volunteer hours, thanks to the dedication of retired educators and other professionals who supported us with in-school programming.

Well-Being

As toxic stress and chaos rise, wellness practices designed to help us restore calm are essential to our collective future.

WiseTribe works with schools, students, and volunteers to build personal resilience and foster a culture of health. Through hands-on, somatic learning, we offer practical tools to manage stress and understand how environments impact health.

We hosted Wisdom Exchanges with educators to explore strategies for embedding wellness into daily school life via Outdoor Classrooms. In partnership with the charlie fund, we also addressed the urgent state of youth mental health.

We brought our wellness programming to existing summer camp programs. In summer 2022, we served 40 TRIO students at Palm Beach State College. In summer 2023, we partnered with Love, Hope & Healing to reach 25 campers and their families. Both camps included:

Mock building of food cooperatives using bulk volume of whole foods with simulated math and economics
Family Crockpot Challenges with home ingredients
Non sleep deep rest (NSDR) training

Dina, a longtime Junior WiseTriber, led youth yoga and breathwork at SouthTech and Carver Middle School during her breaks from Middlebury College.

Wellbeing Outcomes:

16 Non Sleep Deep Rest sessions with students, teachers and our volunteers and board members
14 Yoga and/or breathwork sessions took place in schools, community centers and public parks
5 Morning Movement Hip-Hop sessions at SouthTech Preparatory Academy
146 hours of metabolic health learning experiences with 6th-grade medical academy students
3 Aromatherapy workshops educating youth on natural therapeutics
Collaborations with Love, Hope & Healing, the charlie fund, Palm Beach State College

Financials 22/23

WiseTribe is a small nonprofit organization that pledges growth and transparency.

The following financial details reflect what was recorded from January 2022 through June 2023.

Operating Income	Donations - $179,659.84
Operating Expenses	Administration - $74,699	Fundraising - $34,750	Programs - $179,163	Marketing -$13,045
In-Kind Services & Contributions	Total Value - $29,997

In addition to cash donations from our donors, WiseTribe also received in-kind contributions for volunteer services, food, and supplies. Receiving these needed resources in kind allows us to use our cash to implement program services. Although these in-kind donations are not shown in our financials, they add significant value to the organization.

Our Gratitude to our Cocreators

A Closing Note from Our Founder

To Our Community Partners and Supporters,

Thank you for standing with us.

This past year brought its share of intensity and uncertainty. Some moments asked us to dig deep—to steady ourselves amid pressure and trust in something greater than any one person, school, or organization.

And still, we moved forward—together.

As a loosely held yet intentionally connected network of changemakers, your belief in this work made all the difference. Whether you gave your time, shared your talents, offered resources, or simply showed up with heart -you helped shape learning, well-being, and transformation for youth and community alike.

WiseTribe has always been rooted in the understanding that everything is interconnected and that a healthy, wise future depends on our willingness to grow, adapt, and build that future together.

Thank you for daring to reimagine what’s possible with us.

With gratitude,
Jacqueline Botting
Founder, WiseTribe

18 Months in Review