We can’t believe it’s already been a year since starting Whole Kids Foundation®! But we’ve received lots of heart-warming, awe-inspiring letters, photos and drawings from schools and children celebrating their school salad bars and gardens, so that proves it. Whole Kids Foundation was established in 2011 by Whole Foods Market® with a mission to not only help kids eat better but enjoy eating better! In just one year, with your help, our programs have supported more than one million children and made positive changes in thousands of school gardens, lunchrooms and classrooms throughout the US and Canada.Check out we’ve done in just one year with YOUR support!
Partnered to establish Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools opens in a new tab, which has already funded more than 1,400 kid-sized salad bars.
Created the School Garden Grant Program opens in a new tab in partnership with FoodCorps opens in a new tab, which has awarded grants to nearly 1,000 schools in the US and Canada.
Launched a Healthy Teachers Program opens in a new tab to provide nutrition and cooking classes for teachers. After conducting successful pilot programs in Austin, Texas and New York City, Whole Kids Foundation is working in partnership with FoodFight opens in a new tab to expand this project to more cities.
And we’ve already begun the work to inspire families to pack more nutrition in every bite! As so many parents know, one of the best ways to reach and teach kids is through play. So, we’ve also developed the game Awesome Eats!, a free iPhone app available on iTunes opens in a new tab. Awesome Eats! challenges kids to sort, pack and plate fruits and veggies while learning loads of healthy-eating tips. Every month Whole Kids Foundation website also features ScrapKins eco-art projects opens in a new tab, which provide hands-on fun for kids and a starting point for parents to talk to them about healthy choices.
What’s coming next? The Foundation will launch a brand new program called Better Bites opens in a new tab. Through how-to tips, family-friendly recipes and helpful resources, we’llhighlight one really simple change that you can make that’ll have a positive impact on nutrition for the entire family. (The first edition will tackle the switch to whole grain bread!) We’re deeply grateful to the children, families, schools, partners and donators all that’s made our first year truly memorable. And doubly thankful because Whole Foods Market covers the Foundation’s core operating costs, which means every dollar you’ve contributed goes straight to programs that make a direct impact on kids, communities and schools. To learn more about our work or to make a tax-deductible donation opens in a new tab simply visit www.wholekidsfoundation.org opens in a new tab. You can also connect with us on Facebook opens in a new tab, Twitter opens in a new tab and Pinterest opens in a new tab.
Do you have a garden or school lunch success story to share? I’d love to hear about it!
