SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dairy Council of California is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024–2025 Let’s Eat Healthy Community Grants, totaling $30,000 in funding to advance dairy agricultural literacy, evidence-based nutrition education and equitable access to wholesome foods that include milk and dairy foods. This year’s winners, each awarded $10,000, include Hidden Valley Elementary School (Santa Rosa), Pasture Raised Kids (Fort Jones) and Arts in Action Community Charter Schools (East Los Angeles).
“The Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative exemplifies our commitment to collaborate with diverse partners across the state to support the health of children, families and communities,” said Amy DeLisio, CEO of Dairy Council of California. “These community grants support local needs and fund unique projects to enhance nutrition education and agricultural literacy efforts that inspire healthy eating.”
Hidden Valley Elementary School in Santa Rosa will implement In School Programs to Increase Reach of Education for Dairy, Healthy Eating and Nutrition, which focuses on hands-on nutrition education. The school’s 530 students will engage in dairy-focused food science lessons, recipe contests with garden-grown ingredients and dairy farm tours, while learning about balanced nutrition and sustainable food systems.
Pasture Raised Kids, a nonprofit in Fort Jones, serves children in rural Siskiyou County, where food insecurity is high. Its Milk Matters: Dairy Literacy for Healthier Kids in Siskiyou program will teach children ages 4 to 12 about the nutritional value of dairy and sustainable farming practices through interactive lessons, dairy tastings and educational farm tours.
Arts in Action Community Charter Schools in East Los Angeles will launch Dairy-ing to Try Something New, an initiative designed to bring culturally relevant dairy recipes, food science lessons and agricultural education to its transitional kindergarten through fifth grade students.
The Let’s Eat Healthy Community Grants play a vital role in expanding access to evidence-based nutrition and dairy agriculture education resources while fostering collaborations between schools, local farms and community organizations.
To learn more about the Let’s Eat Healthy Community Grants visit HealthyEating.org/Grants.
About Dairy Council of California
Dairy Council of California is a nutrition organization working together with champions to elevate the health of children and communities through lifelong healthy eating patterns. Focusing on education, advocacy, dairy agricultural literacy and collaboration, Dairy Council of California advances the health benefits of milk and dairy foods as part of the solution to achieving nutrition security and sustainable food systems. Learn more at DairyCouncilofCA.org.
About the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative
Launched by Dairy Council of California, Let’s Eat Healthy is an initiative that brings together community leaders and stakeholders with expertise in education, school foodservice, public health, health care and agriculture, inviting these change-makers to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating patterns. Through coordination and collaboration, Let’s Eat Healthy strives to provide sustainable solutions to champion community health and make healthy, wholesome foods accessible to all. The Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative is driven to provide dynamic educational resources and tools, peer networking, amplification of best practices and the latest in nutrition information, uniting individuals and organizations through shared values. Discover ways to engage in the initiative and make a difference at DairyCouncilofCA.org/LEH.
Contact Information
Name: Malynda Parsons
Title: Communications Manager
Dairy Council of California
Phone Number: 916-633-9333
Email: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/05104632-bf6b-4deb-a082-50e76c77825c