School & Community Partnerships

Our Healthy Schools Project

Our Healthy Schools Project is our most comprehensive level of engagement with school communities. In 2023, Healthy Schools Projects will be operating in multiple schools within the Belmont Charter Network in West Philadelphia serving 3,530, including 1,980 through fresh food distributions and 1,550 through food and gardening education.

Key components of our Healthy Schools Project include:

  1. Farm Explorer mobile farm visits: seasonal farm-to-school lessons such as, “Roots”, where students explore living soil, root vegetables, and how soil nutrients relate to healthy plants and healthy bodies. Students harvest carrots and herbs from the Farm Explorer and prepare a carrot & beet salad, discussing how vegetables impact wellness. Students receive recipes and vegetables to make at home
  2. After school sessions: garden based activities that build skills in growing one’s own food
  3. Community Food Advocates: paid neighborhood residents with deep knowledge and relationships, who listen and lead food systems work. They define their own initiatives, such as leading produce distributions, cooking circles, supporting community gardens, or working with youth
  4. Building partnerships: collaborations with community organizations to increase fresh food resources
  5. Fruit and vegetable distributions: weekly fresh, nutrient-dense produce 
  6. Cooking and Gardening Circles: preservation of generational knowledge where community members use their own language around health and wellness
  7. Teen Leadership Internship: 6-week paid summer internship and year-round employment for teens, supporting the next generation of food leaders
  8. Support for school and community gardens: skill building and knowledge sharing

If you are interested in partnering with us please contact: