Why Partnerships Matter Now More Than Ever
No newsflash here: Children’s health is in crisis.
Kids are eating an insane amount of ultraprocessed foods. Childhood obesity and diet-related chronic diseases continue to rise. And despite what TikTok suggests, there are no simple solutions.
At Small Bites, food education is what we do best. But we know that’s just one piece of the puzzle to help kids become thriving, healthy, happy adults. So, we rely on our partners who focus on food access, school meal innovation, farmer support, environmental education and advocacy, and physical activity.
When we work together, we act as a family with a shared mission, each of us bringing our strengths to build a healthier future for kids.
In times of extreme uncertainty around policies and funding, one thing remains clear: we can’t do this work alone. Partnerships help realize and multiply our impact. And, let’s be honest - - It’s also just a lot more fun to work together!
With that in mind, we’d like to share a few highlights from our work with some of our beloved partners this year:
Eat Real Certified + Marietta City Schools
Eat Real Certified is a national nonprofit focused on reimagining school lunch. Eat Real has a goal of reaching over 1 million kids through partnerships with school districts to offer support and recognition for integrating local, sustainable foods, increasing scratch cooking, and more. (and bonus: If you haven’t seen Eat Real’s Executive Director Nora LaTorre’s Ted X speech, check it out here! )
One of our shared partners is Marietta City Schools, where we supported 13 PreK and Kindergarten classrooms to become Veggie Ready!
The Eat Real, Small Bites Adventure Club, and Marietta City School Nutrition Teams!
Students tasting Carrots & Honey Mustard Dip!
Newton County + USDA Farm to School
Newton County is nestled about an hour outside of Atlanta, and home to some incredible teachers, students and farmers. Thanks to a USDA Farm to School grant, we introduced 360 students to hands-on cooking. And at the end of the semester, these students took field trips to Love is Love Cooperative Farm to meet the farmers and explore the farm.
Partners include Newton Education Foundation, Newton County School Nutrition, Love is Love Cooperative Farm. Stay tuned for news on our continued partnership this fall!
Erin Croom (Small Bites), Abdul Lindsay (Newton County School Nutrition Director), Judith Winfrey (Love is Love Cooperative Farm.)
“The exposure and everything is amazing. It feels great as a teacher to be able to show them new things and make it fun without it being overwhelming for me or for them. ”
Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District
The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (FRSWCD) is comprised of farmers, landowners, and community leaders who are dedicated to the conservation, wise use, and protection of natural resources in the Flint River Basin. The Lower Flint River Basin in southwest Georgia is one of the most ecologically rich river systems in the southeast and the epicenter of Georgia's vibrant agricultural economy. (Never been there? Check out how gorgeous this river is!)
We loved partnering with FRSWCD, as a way to partner with schools in Southwest Georgia. Their focus on sustainability and education led to 17 classrooms in Seminole and Decatur Counties graduating as Adventurous Eaters. Even the FRSWCD Board members got into the action and created our Green Machine Spinach Smoothies!
Students at Seminole County Elementary School tasting “Crunchy Cucumber Wraps”!
"The students became more aware of how to read a recipe and how to measure. They loved getting stickers when they tried the recipes. They were excited and very engaged." – Ms. Tina Fain, Agriculture Teacher
HealthMPowers
HealthMPowers is a powerhouse for children’s health in Georgia. And, fun fact– our very first partner since 2018! In addition to providing nutrition education, they founded an innovative program called Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) Initiative, which has helped thousands of middle school girls increase their physical activity and fitness levels.
HealthMPowers has team members that travel to early care and education (ECE) and afterschool programs to provide high quality education. We partner with HealthMPowers to bring Veggie Ready to their partnered ECE and afterschool sites across Georgia. This Spring, over 1,800 kids tasted more than 7,200 bites of veggies across their partner ECE and afterschool program sites!
"The children get excited to learn about the food, so that makes me excited to teach them about it." – Korien Stroud, ECE teacher
Open Hand
Open Hand was founded in 1988 and delivers medically tailored (and delicious) meals and nutrition education to thousands of Georgians. And, they’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit - anyone can purchase their Good Measure Meals and they will deliver right to your door!
One of their newer initiatives is the Strong Roots program, which is available to early care sites to help support improvements in the nutrition and food environment. This program provides Harvest of the Month deliveries, technical assistance, and nutrition education resources, including our Small Bites’ Veggie Ready program.
This spring, 21 ECE classrooms created Green Machine Smoothies, explored peppers, and learned about the farmers that grow fruits and vegetables. Open Hand Snap-Ed Manager shared, "Seeing kids exploring, tasting, and bringing home produce and excitement throughout the Veggie Ready program has ultimately brought our vision for our Farm to ECE program together." Aw! We love you Open Hand!
