SPEAKER DETAILS

LEONA VBRANAC
 

Leona Vrbanac is a culinary teacher and garden manager at Newark High School, an urban school with government provided breakfast and lunch. She brings a strong commitment to counter the status quo and connect students to deeply nourishing food. Her core curriculum is rooted in the principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation, emphasizing traditional, nutrient-dense foods. Leona guides her students in ancestral culinary practices such as fermenting sourdough and dairy, nixtamalizing corn, sprouting legumes, preparing meats, harvesting herbs, creating herbal hydrosols, growing vegetables and composting to develop nutrient dense soils in the class garden. She encourages her sometimes reluctant students to “meet every edible opportunity with optimism.” Surprises abound. 

 

Leona holds a Bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences, a Master’s in education with a focus on intervention, and certifications in both Montessori education and the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy. She also serves as a Weston A. Price Chapter Leader promoting traditional, nutrient-dense foods and holistic wellness. She consistently pursues continuing education through the annual Wise Traditions Conference, Modern Stone Age Food Lab, Jovial Einkorn Experience and the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park. 

PRESENTATIONs 

​

REAL FOOD, REAL CHANGE: WISE TRADITIONS IN THE URBAN CLASSROOM
 
FRI, OCT 17 AT 11:00 AM
​

Chipper. Happy. Fun. Engaged. Curious. Determined. Cooperative. Capable. Enthusiastic.
Not the adjectives you’d expect for students in an inner-city high school classroom? Think again! These qualities shine every day in Ms. V.’s culinary class—the first-ever high school chapter of Wise Traditions, rooted in a public urban school.

 

Join us as we explore how students are joyfully cooking (and yes, eating!) their way through the nutrient-dense principles of Wise Traditions. From keeping sourdough starters alive to fermenting yogurt, nixtamalizing corn, composting and tending their own garden, these students are hands-on, hearts-in and fully fed—body, mind, and spirit.

 

What started as an experiment in real food turned into a movement with a 300-student waitlist. What’s the secret? It’s not just the curriculum—it’s the nourishment. This session will share how real food can transform not just health, but attitudes, engagement, and even school culture. Clearly, students are hungry—for knowledge, for connection, for purpose and for real nourishment. Let’s spread the love and bring real food to schools across the country!