Brighter Bites Begins Year Two in Austin: Staff focus on Coordinated School Health
On September 6, Brighter Bites Austin will kick off fall programming in seven elementary schools and one early childhood center in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). We are thrilled to welcome back: Casey Elementary, Cunningham Elementary, Odom Elementary, and Langford Elementary. New schools joining us this fall are: Metz Elementary, Linder Elementary, Norman Elementary, and Uphaus Early Childhood Center. Unlike last year, Brighter Bites programming extends to all grades this year and the faculty serving those grades, with the exception of Langford Elementary, where families and teachers in grades pre-K through 3rd will be eligible to sign up for the program.
To prepare our schools for Brighter Bites programming and spark excitement for the beautiful produce and delicious recipes coming their way, our staff have been speaking with school leaders and faculty before programming begins. These meetings introduce and review the specifics of our dynamic nutrition education program (Food Access + Food Literacy + Food Engagement) as well as our process for partnering with teachers to utilize Brighter Bites produce as fun, hands-on educational tools in the classroom. Additionally, we explain how Brighter Bites fits into all of AISD’s coordinated school health programming.
AISD is different from the other school districts Brighter Bites works with, because this district uses the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model in addition to the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum, used in all of our other school districts. As a coordinated school health approach to student learning and wellness, WSCC embraces every aspect of a child’s education and health to improve his/her development. It includes not only physical activity, nutrition, family, and community involvement, but also social services and counseling, health services, social and emotional learning, employee wellness, and the physical environment. Brighter Bites fits nicely into the community involvement component of this model and we are grateful to AISD for incorporating our program into this coordinated school health approach.
At Brighter Bites, our goal is to create a community of health through fresh food, nutrition education, and fun at each school campus we serve, by increasing exposure to fruits and vegetables and empowering kids to try new foods. Classroom teachers, as significant role models in the school environment, are crucial to our success. The programming staff of Brighter Bites in Austin is charged up to begin our fall distributions next week. We’re looking forward to seeing familiar faces, catching up with volunteer alumni, and making new Brighter Bites friends.