Let's Eat Healthy Community Grants

Igniting sustainable solutions to champion healthier communities through the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative

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2023-2024 Let’s Eat Healthy Community Grant Recipients

Learn more about the projects Let’s Eat Healthy has funded and its community impact with partners!

Dairy Inclusive Nutrition Education

San Miguel Joint Union School District
San Luis Obispo County

Enhancing nutrition and food literacy programming to connect the classroom, garden and cafeteria.

Griffiths Middle School
Downey Unified School District
Los Angeles County 

Enhancing the Downey Unified School District middle school culinary program through expanded experiential activities and launch of a districtwide culinary competition.  

Ladera Ranch Middle School
Capistrano Unified School District
Orange County 

Incorporating nutrition education and expanding dairy food labs in the school culinary program.  

My Healthy Reader, LLC
Riverside County 

Expanding family-centered nutrition education services and resources to underserved communities in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.  

Dairy Agricultural Literacy

Community Housing Opportunities Corporation Solano County 

Expanding nutrition education and dairy agricultural literacy programming to youth in underserved communities across Sacramento and Yolo counties, targeting eight locations. 

Lake Elsinore Unified School District
Riverside County  

Enhancing dairy agricultural literacy within Lake Elsinore Unified School District’s Expanded Learning program. 

Supporting Milk + Dairy Advocacy

Orcutt Union School District
Santa Barbara County 

Transforming a high school cafeteria to support nutrition security by implementing Smarter Lunchrooms Movement strategies to increase student participation in school meals. 

Vista Del Mar Union School District  
Santa Barbara County 

Engaging in a youth empowerment project to transform school meals and increase student participation in school meals. 

OC Fair & Event Center, Centennial Farm
Orange County

Enhancing dairy agricultural literacy and advocacy strategies in the farm’s programming. 

The Let’s Eat Healthy Community Grant program advances the activation of Dairy Council of California’s Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative, engaging champions to empower healthier children, families and communities through a myriad of strategies and partnerships to meet the needs of local communities.

This funding program advances innovative and collaborative solutions to improve nutrition education and access to nutritious foods that include milk and dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.

Criteria

• Proposals must be consistent with the values of Let’s Eat Healthy and align to at least one Let’s Eat Healthy Strategic Framework goal and objective. 
• Projects must address at least one of the following focus areas: 
  
  • Advance nutrition security by increasing access to healthy, wholesome foods, including milk and dairy foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. 
  • Advance equitable access to science-based nutrition education
  • Enhance food and agricultural literacy that encompasses the role of dairy in local sustainable food systems
• Projects must be implemented and evaluated by June 30, 2024.

Proposal areas of particular interest include:

• Nutrition education projects that focus on cultural foods, traditions, and recipes that include milk and dairy foods in school and/or community settings. 
• Nutrition security and food access projects that make milk and dairy foods more accessible in school and/or community settings. 
• Youth ambassadors leading nutrition education, agricultural literacy, and/or sustainable food system projects that include dairy.

Eligibility 

• Applicants must represent an entity in California (school, district, nonprofit, local government or community organization, etc.). 
• Applicants must be registered members of Let’s Eat Healthy. Register to join and commit to building healthier communities here.

Funding Availability

• Total of $30,000 is available to be awarded
• Request for application will accept a range of funding valued up to $8,000 per proposed project.

Thank you for your interest. The application period will open again in July 2024.