Offered to select BGCA locations throughout the Northeast, the curriculum targeted children ages 8 to 13, and taught basic nutrition, food-shopping, and cooking skills to students living in low-income areas.

THE RESULT
EAT FOOD created a set of detailed, user-friendly lesson plans for Boys & Girls Club instructors, most of whom had little to no nutrition knowledge and minimal cooking experience. EAT FOOD “trained the trainers” by providing intensive workshops for instructors at each of the participating sites, along with tailoring the curriculum for each site based on varying needs and demographics.

EF designed the curriculum to provide young children with basic cooking knowledge, including lesson plans devoted to simple recipes and food sanitation. The curriculum also covered nutrition education and grocery shopping, which empowered students to make healthier choices. Lesson plans focused on contemporary health topics such as understanding nutrition labels; recognizing the nutritional benefits of whole grains; and being aware of all the food groups.

The curriculum was presented as a pilot program in 5 BGCA sites, and the feedback was resoundingly positive. All of the participating site administrators said that they would offer the class again. 90% of the students surveyed after the program said that they were more concerned with health, and 82% of the students said that they would try and eat more fruits and vegetables.

Finally, EAT FOOD also provided public-relations support for Unilever’s program in key local markets. This resulted in several multimedia hits, including one New York metro-area broadcast placement.