2021 Annual Report

Dear CATCH teammates,

I called 2020 a “breakthrough” year, so I’m not sure what superlative to use for 2021 – “blockbuster” maybe?

Much of our impact comes one school at a time, one day at a time, one child at a time, in the 15,000 schools (mostly in low-income communities) where we reach over 3 million PreK-12th grade kids – and counting! – every year. This report shares many testimonials and I’ll highlight two here:

• A video of CATCH in action in schools in Lawton, Michigan, part of our statewide CATCH activation project generously supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
• A spotlight page summarizing our ongoing work in Philadelphia City schools supported by the Edna Kynett Foundation and many of you.

In addition to the steady progress of our mission’s growth, 2021 saw several quantum leaps in our content and reach:

• In June, we combined forces with EduMotion, bringing their innovative SEL Journeys™ program and their founder, Margot Toppen, into the CATCH family. SEL Journeys teaches social and emotional health through the medium of multi-cultural dance, integrating physical activity, music, and cultural sensitivity in perfect alignment with CATCH’s Whole Child model. Many of our school partners are already beginning to use this new module.
• We also launched the CATCH Healthy Smiles oral health module thanks to a multi-year national sponsorship from Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. This program provides critical continuity of education on healthy habits like tooth brushing and flossing, which have significant secondary impacts on reducing tissue inflammation and boosting immune health – something we can all use, especially now! (Spoiler alert: Together with the point above, CATCH is on track to offer schools a comprehensive health education line-up for grades K-8 in 2022.)
• We brought CATCH to the country of Colombia thanks to a gift from PanAm Investments. In November, we trained two private schools in the Bogotá area and initiated conversations with government officials responsible for programming in public schools in both Bogotá and the La Calera area to its north. This begins to lay the foundation for significant future impact in a rapidly growing country with about 15 million youth under 18 and a need for more health education programming in schools.
• Speaking of rapidly growing countries, we also hit a significant milestone for CATCH in Kenya – home to over 25 million youth. In partnership with a Nairobi-based NGO, we are working with the Kenya National Ministry of Education and Kenyan Institute for Curriculum Development to bring CATCH to schools in Nairobi and the surrounding area. One small sentence summarizing two years of work! We are now collaborating with them in a curriculum review and adaptation process and plan to train the first set of schools soon.

2022 is already off to a great start and I look forward to sharing its milestones and accomplishments with you soon.

In the meantime, I wish health and wellness to you and your families.

Live on!

Duncan Van Dusen
Founder & CEO
CATCH Global Foundation

Dear Friends,

Last year, I told you that in looking back over the 30+ years that I have been part of CATCH that I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s accomplishments.

Today, I write to say that I stand corrected, because over the past year I have grown even more proud of everything our small-but-mighty organization has done to provide ALL kids with access to the programs and resources they need to lead healthy lives – mentally and physically.

In 2021, we added two very important programs to the CATCH platform: SEL Journeys and CATCH Healthy Smiles. The first engages students in multicultural Social & Emotional Learning through dance and movement, and the second works to improve the oral health of students by teaching proper toothbrushing and flossing techniques, as well as the importance of a healthy diet and regular visits to a dentist.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear to us all that our overall health is dependent on a number of factors. At CATCH, we have made it our mission to deliver the highest quality, evidence-based Whole Child health programs to schools in every community across the globe so that all children can achieve health and wellness in their minds, hearts, and bodies.

This work would not be possible without friends and supporters like you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your continued commitment to CATCH.

Dr. Steven Kelder, MPH, Ph.D.
Board of Directors Chair
CATCH Global Foundation