Written by Activist for a Healthier Tomorrow

Michael Manning

Nutritional Grant
Proposal

Gina Milano
Mary McKenna
May Rees
Shirley Rosen

Learning from the Ground Up: Back

to the Roots

1225 Apple Rd. Davis, CA 95616

Phone: 530-223-4455 Fax: 530-223-4456 E-Mail: activistsforahealthiertomorrow@gmai.com

Learning from the Ground

March 2015

Up: Back to the Roots

I. Executive Summery
Dear Selection Committee,
In the town of Whoville, childhood obesity rates have increased due to poor food choices
caused by lack of nutrition education. We propose to address this problem by implementing a
nutrition education program for first grade students. This plan would include a school garden
accompanied by teacher facilitated nutrition education activities. The first step would involve
adequate training of the teachers implementing this program. They would receive guidelines
with structured lesson plans that emphasize a variety of nutrition topics. To reinforce the
principles received, a school garden would be built to create a hands-on environment where
children are able to connect the food that is grown to the lessons learned in the classroom. To
further foster interest, interactive workbooks will be provided to supplement the garden
activities and classroom education. The overall goal would be to help children make a positive
change in their dietary habits. Achievement of this goal involves both health and behavioral
changes. For our direct health outcome, by 2020 50% of 1st graders would be in the healthy
weight category as defined by being within the 5th-85th percentile of BMI according to the CDC
growth charts. For our direct behavioral outcome, by 2020 75% 1st graders will be able to list
three healthy vegetable or fruit snack choices.

II. Target Population

The target population for this intervention is first grade students. We chose to target this
intervention towards first grade students because it is shown that childhood obesity rates have
increased dramatically during the past ten years and are still rising. Currently, 69% of the
children in this community are overweight or obese. The prevalence of CVD, Diabetes, and fetal
macrosomia have increased in this community as well, which could become a problem for these
children in the future if lifestyle changes are not made. It is essential to reach these children at
an early age because their brains are still developing and are more receptive to information and
their lifestyle habits are not yet as concrete and defined as the adult population.

III. Specific Aims

Our main goal of this program is to increase nutrition education and promote healthy food
choices to reduce obesity rates in children. Through our intervention activities, we aim to
increase nutrition knowledge, decrease obesity rates in children, and give them the ability to
make healthier choices. We will do this through implementing a fresh garden on school
grounds, and engaging in interactive classroom activities. Through these actions, we aim to
achieve direct health and behavioral outcomes. By 2020, 50% of 1st graders will be in the

Learning from the Ground

March 2015

Up: Back to the Roots

healthy weight category as defined by the CDC growth charts, being within the 5th-85th
percentile of BMI. As well as, by 2020, 75% 1st graders will be able to list three healthy
vegetable or fruit snack choices.

IV. Intervention
We plan to implement a fresh garden as well as interactive nutrition education activities that
will be done in the classroom to supplement what is learned in the garden. The garden will
provide a hands on experience with new and familiar vegetables and fruits. It will help the
children learn more about where fresh produce comes from and how they can start their own.
The workbooks have interactive activities, focusing on why eating healthy is important.

V. Monitoring and Evaluation

1st Graders:
At the beginning of the program (year 1), a nutrition knowledge assessment of 1st graders will
be conducted by the teacher using a simple questionnaire. This knowledge assessment will
include identification of basic food groups, specific fruits and vegetables, and healthy
habits. This information will be used to make sure the lessons and booklets will meet the
needs of the participants. The next four years of the intervention (years 2-5) would include both
the nutrition knowledge assessment and a physical baseline. The physical baseline of the
children will be done by taking the height and weight to calculate the childrens BMI and their
age. These measurements will be taken during physical education period by the gym teacher
with the help of hired on Anthropometrics Assistants. This will be performed during the first
week of school and last week of school and measured against a BMI-for-age chart.
Teachers:
Teachers will have to pass a basic nutritional exam that is created by the program to make sure
they are able to accurately teach the proposed lesson plans and use the booklets. There will
also be teacher focus groups to discuss overall response to the program and would be done at
monthly intervals at 0, 6, and 12 months. Additionally, the intervention team will randomly
observe the teachers throughout the year to see if things are running smoothly and provide
feedback if necessary.
Community:
To further evaluate the programs success, parents and community members will be given a
take home survey to see if the nutrition intervention is expanding outside of the classroom.

Learning from the Ground

March 2015

Up: Back to the Roots

VI. Timeline
Year 1: (Beginning July 2015)
August 1st, 2015- June 17, 2016: Academic School year

Secure buy-in of school administration

Fill position of Nutrition Program Director from school staff, parent teacher association
by August 1st, 2015

Educate teachers/ faculty/ administration of school on proposal (during two weeks

before school)

Diet knowledge assessment for children, baseline data, use to design educational
material

Buy necessary equipment

Create books, educational material

June 17, 2016- July 31, 2016: (Summer)

Make necessary changes for the next year

Build gardens, find best location, what is needed, seasonal availabilities, time needed,
install sprinkler system on a timer.

Hire gardener

Train teachers, Nutrition Program Director, on all necessary educational material

Year 2 (August - June):

Implement program!

Baseline assessment of weight, BMI, dietary knowledge base

Evaluate teacher performance on teaching material (observe them during lessons),

motivation of administration and children

Focus group w/ teachers and kids to gain feedback on program process

Year end assessment of weight, BMI, dietary knowledge base

Year 3 - 5

Evaluate program for necessary changes

Yearly evaluations of weight, BMI, dietary knowledge base

Further evaluate program success to parents and community by take home survey to
parents and community members

In-service training about nutrition curriculum by Nutrition Program Director the week
before school starts to refresh/train new staff

Learning from the Ground

Up: Back to the Roots

March 2015

Reprint/update booklets

Purchase new garden supplies

VII. Budget
EXPENDITURES

ONE-TIME COSTS

YEARLY COSTS (4 years)

Salary
Landscaper

$1,000

Gardener

$2,000/year

Nutrition Program Director

$5,000/year

Anthropometrics Assistants (2)

$500/year
Program Services

In-Service Training

$3,000/year
Program Materials

Educational Booklet Design

$5,000

Survey Materials/Printing Costs

$500/year
$500/year

Program Equipment
Garden Installation Equipment

$1,000

Garden Maintenance Equipment

$5,000/year

Sprinkler System Installation

$1,000

Sprinkler System Materials

$1,000

Garden Water
Anthropometric Equipment

$500/year
$500
Participant Support Costs

Transportation
Food
Accommodations
TOTAL

$1000/year
$500/year
$1000/year
$89,500

Budget Notes: In order to make this program sustainable we felt that it was more important to
direct our salaries into individuals who will continue this program since we will only be there for
the initiation and periodic check-ups of this intervention. Therefore we felt it unnecessary to
give our team salaries since we are already employed by Activists for a Healthier Tomorrow.

Learning from the Ground

March 2015

Up: Back to the Roots

VIII. Sustainability
The long-term effect of this nutrition education program is to decrease obesity rates over time,
which will help decrease other related health effects such as type 2 diabetes and CVD. The
decline of obesity rates and various related disease will increase childrens health awareness
and importance of implementing behavioral modifications and lifestyle changes. The invaluable
knowledge they have learned in this program will allow them to make better health and
nutrition related decisions, which may affect their immediate family and loved ones as well. To
prevent those who have benefited from this program from becoming adversely affected by our
departure, the maintenance of the position of Nutrition Program Director is advocating strongly
for the continuance of our program. He/she is in charge of in-service education at the school
regarding teacher nutrition education, answering questions from students and teachers
regarding the program, providing resources regarding nutrition, implementing new nutrition
knowledge to keep students engaged, ensuring the garden is maintained/utilized, and
updating the nutrition education workbooks.

IX. Long Term Plan

Over the long run, the government should follow-up on the program outcomes by continuing to
measure the childrens height and weight into their adult years. This data will be used to
calculate BMI in order to compare to the standard CDC BMI percentiles. This will be done in
order to see how these children are progressing and if this nutrition education has affected
these childrens BMI in a negative or positive way. Specific long term outcomes will be assessed
as well, such as, reducing children obesity rates, reducing further development of T2DM, CVD,
and aiming to meet the normal BMI for age group of 1st graders ( 6-7 y olds). In addition to
collecting anthropometric measures, biochemical measures will be included to evaluate health
status related to metabolic disorders linked to excess body weight. Continue to evaluate
childhood obesity to see if rate has gone down from original 69%, which our goal originally set
for 50% of children to be at healthy weight status by 2020. In class surveys and at-home
surveys will be conducted to see how this nutrition education program has affected childrens
mindset and decision-making process regarding healthy food choices.

X. Conclusion
We look forward to hearing about the progress of our proposal. We hope you think this
intervention is as important to you as it is to us. Thank you for your consideration and time.
Sincerely,
Activists for a Healthier Tomorrow