Rutgers Effenaitch Foundation

Supporting the Health Needs of New Jersey Since 2010

26 Nichol Avenue, Room 208
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-2882

FULL PROPOSAL – COVER PAGE (p. 0)

Name of Applicant Organization: _New Brunswick for Healthy Children____

Organization Address: ___61 Dudley Rd__________________

___New Brunswick, NJ 08901_______

Contact Person Name and EMail Address: ___Gabriela Bzdyra gbzdyra@gmail.com_________

Project Title: ____Snacking Smart______________________________________________________
Target Population: _____4th and 5th Graders at Lord Stirling Community School _____________
Project Geographic Area: ____Lord Stirling Community School, New Brunswick, NJ __________
Proposed Budget:

Request of REF ($) Total Budget ($)

$25,000 $25,000

Organization’s Mission Statement

Snacking Smart aspires to give every child an equal opportunity to develop nutritious snacking habits and
eliminate childhood obesity one fruit and vegetable at a time.

Purpose of Proposed Project

To increase availability, choice, and self-efficacy of fruits and vegetables for elementary school aged
children in afterschool programs. This will be done by making healthy snacks fun, easy, and achievable
via hands on nutrition lesson, cooking demonstrations, and taste tests, while supporting local farms by
supplying kids with biweekly baskets of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Brief Summary of proposed project

Snacking Smart (SS) is a bimonthly after school program that will take place in Lord Stirling Community
School from September to December, and will be available to fourth and fifth graders. The program will
be lead by a Registered Dietitian that will give a nutrition education lesson on in season fruits and
vegetables, along with a hands on cooking demonstration and taste test. SS will partner with and support
New Brunswick farmers by purchasing produce locally. Success of the program will be measured by
comparing pre-test, post-test, and overall satisfaction surveys which will be distributed to the children
and parents. The results of these surveys will contribute to expansion of the program to other grade levels
and schools within New Brunswick, New Jersey.
I. Project Background – [Gabby]
b. Goals
 The goal of Snacking Smart (SS) is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in
elementary school children grades 4 and 5 in order to combat childhood obesity and food
insecurity. SS is an 8-week after school program which will focus on students at the Lord
Stirling Community School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. SS hopes to increase self-efficacy in
children and make nutrient dense snacks more appealing and accessible compared to high
calorie, processed snacks that bodegas and vending machines offer them. This will be achieved
by increasing knowledge of the nutritious benefits of seasonal fruits and vegetables, and teaching
children how to prepare delicious snacks through the Registered Dietitian led nutrition lesson
and cooking demonstration. SS will provide a basket of fruits and/or vegetables discussed in that
lesson for the children to take home to their families and apply what they learned in their homes.
Finally, SS aims to support New Brunswick farmers markets by purchasing produce for each
lesson from the local market.

c. Assessment of needs
Childhood obesity, which is categorized as BMI in the 95th percentile, is an epidemic in
America and incidences continue to rise in numbers. From 1988 to 1994 only 11.3% of 6-11 year
olds were considered obese, as compared to more recent data from 2001 to 2004, which shows
that 17.5% of 6-11 year olds were obese (1). The prevalence of childhood obesity seems to
increase with age, with 8.9% ages 2-5, 17.5% 6-11, and 20.5% 12-19 year olds (2). The
dramatic increase between the first two age groups mentioned shows a critical need for
intervention for this school age group. The prevalence of obesity is also higher with Hispanic
and non-Hispanic Blacks, 21.9% and 19.5% respectively, and 14.7% for non-Hispanic Whites
(2). Childhood obesity puts children at risk for serious life threatening metabolic disorders, like
type II diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, joint problems, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and a
life with poor health (3). Aside from physical health complications, mental health is at risk due a
number of issues such as increased depression, bullying, and social stigma (3).
New Brunswick is home to 56,338 residents, who all vary in ethnicity: 55% Hispanic,
20% non-Hispanic White, and 13% non-Hispanic Black (4). The poverty rate in 2015 was 37%,
which is higher than the country at 11-13% (4). Furthermore, 25% of families report not having
enough food to eat (5). Along with a high poverty rate, 48% of children in New Brunswick are
overweight or obese (5). This immense poverty rate has a huge impact on the availability of
food, therefore, to make New Brunswick a healthier city, food security must be addressed.
The consumption of fruits and vegetables by children is mostly predicted by the
availability and preference of that fruit or vegetable. Only 12% of children in New Brunswick
meet Healthy People 2020’s nutrition recommendation and 24% of children eat vegetables once
per day or less (5). Unfortunately, due to cost and availability, low income households gravitate
towards consuming energy dense foods like chips and candy bars. It is reported that 20% of
New Brunswick children consume a high calorie snack daily and 11% drink a sugary beverage at
least 2 times per day (5). Additionally, 12% of children are reported to eat fast food twice a week
(5). A majority of the markets available are bodegas and mini markets, which have a huge
supply of highly processed foods. Cost and distance determines where parents of children shop
for their food; therefore, a quarter of Hispanic residents shop at corner stores, which have
noticeably less fresh produce and low fat options (5). Low availability in addition to parents’
busy work schedules leaves children with consuming easy to prepare readymade meals or fast
food, that are often high in sodium and fat.
Since high calorie snacks are widely consumed due to their cost and availability, it is
pertinent to make fruits and vegetables available for students to consume after school.
Additionally, since high calorie snacks are preferred for children due to their taste, it is vital to
also teach children how to increase appeal and turn common fruits and vegetable into delicious
snack creations. Since parents provide food for children, it is important to instill preference for
healthy snacks in children so they can in turn motivate their parents to increase availability of
fruits and vegetables at home. Finally, joining forces with the farmers market will increase the
money that goes toward New Brunswick.

d. Rationale for Approach

High Fruit and Vegetable consumption is shown to decrease a person’s risk for
cardiovascular disease, cancer, and leads to lower risks of overweight in children (6). Since a
child’s desire to eat a fruit or vegetable is the main determinant whether or not they will eat
them, it is important to make the food appealing and tasty for children to eat. A study published
in 2008 titled, “Black Children with High Preferences for Fruits and Vegetables Are at Less Risk
of Being at Risk of Overweight or Overweight,” examined the relationship between a child’s
preference to eat fruits and vegetables and their weight status (6). This was done by distributing a
survey with 38 different fruit and vegetables to 341 black children in fourth grade (6). The
results concluded that a child who answered with a low fondness for fruit and vegetables had a
5.5 times greater risk for being overweight (6). The study advised that food preference for fruits
and vegetables must be established early in life with the aid of nutritional professionals to instill
acceptance (6).
Another study published in 2009 titled, “It’s All About Kids: Preventing Overweight in
Elementary School Children in Tulsa, OK,” showed the effects of implementing a 6 week, 30
minute lesson plan to fourth graders which included healthy eating lessons, taste testing, cooking
demonstrations, and portion sizes (1). Pretest, posttest, and follow up tests were distributed and
the results showed an increase in knowledge of nutritious foods and a desire to choose more
healthful foods, but did not show a concern about the students’ unhealthy weight changes (1).
Finally, research was done studying the effects of a 12 week garden and nutrition
educational program for grades 4-6 at a YMCA summer camp (7). The children worked on the
garden two times per week, in addition to educational lessons including taste testings, snack
preparations, and newsletters that the children brought home to their parents about the activities.
Pre- and post-tests were given to examine satisfaction with the program, as well as to gauge the
availability of fruits and vegetables in the children’s home, preference for fruits and vegetables,
self-efficacy. The results from the study showed a high satisfaction from the program
accompanied by an increase in the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten (7).
In conclusion, a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is critical in
combating obesity and instilling a healthy lifestyle. There is sufficient evidence which shows
that in order to increase preference for a child, it is important to make fruits and vegetables
available to children and include hands on nutrition intervention lessons. These lessons must
teach the children about the various fruits and vegetables, as well as teach fun ways to prepare
them and increase their appeal to children. If this is accomplished, it is hoped that children will
opt for healthy nutrient dense snacks rather than energy dense foods.

e. References for citations

1. DeVault, Norma., Kennedy, Tay., Hermann, Janice., Mwavita, Mwarumba., & Jaworsky, Amber.
(2009). It’s All About Kids: Preventing Overweight in Elementary School Children in Tulsa, OK.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(4), pp. 680-687.
2. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States,
2011–2014. NCHS data brief, no 219. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. Retrieved
on December 9, 2017 from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db219.pdf
3. Healthy Children. (2015). The Emotional Toll of Obesity. Retrieved on December 9, 2017 from:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/pages/The-Emotional-Toll-
of-Obesity.aspx
4. Datausa: New Brunswick. Retrieved on December 9, 2017 from: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/new-
brunswick-nj/
5. Lloyd, Kristen., Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam., Brownlee, Susan., Yedidia, Michael., Gaboda, Dorothy., &
Chou, Jolene. (2010). New Jersey Childhood Obesity Survey. Chartbook New Brunswick.
6. Lakkakula, Anantha. P., Zanovec, Michael., Silverman, Linda., Murphy, Ellen., & Tuuri, Georgianna.
(2008). Black Children with High Preferences for Fruit and Vegetables Are at Less Risk of Being at
Risk of Overweight or Overweight.. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(11), pp. 1912-
1915.
7. Heim, Stephanie., Stang, Jamie., & Ireland, Marjorie. (2009). A Garden Pilot Project Enhances Fruit
and Vegetable Consumption among Children. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
109(7), pp. 1220-1226

III. Project Evaluation – [Jared]

a. Formative evaluation. Indicate what will be done to monitor ongoing delivery. [5]
- As the project evaluator, I will be in charge of engaging the staff and students to gain
perspective of the program. Here I can get an idea of what can be done to improve the
program. Maybe find a sense of preference of fruit/vegetable among students
- E-mail to parents to answer short survey on if they received the food and if the ended
up using.
b. Summative evaluation. What outcomes will be used to measure success. [5]
 - E-mail to parents to answer short survey on if they received the food and if the ended
up using.
- Measure how many students we get to come out
- Pre/Post test to evaluate nutritional awareness/food safety before and after program.
c. Challenges. Anticipate any problems and how they may be minimized. [5]
- Children destroying or throwing out food on walk home. Waste
- Getting kids to come out to program. Incentive?
d. Future directions. Suggest how this program could be improved or expanded. [5].
- Move on to more schools in the area or expand to state/national level
e. Plan for sustainability. Identify sources of support after REF funding period ends. [5]
- Sponsorship from additional sources (RWJ, Produce Market)
- RWJ, Aetna Foundation
- Volunteer dedication and service: Provides hours to people open

IV. Project Supplements** – [Brenda]

a. Measurement materials. Sample lesson or survey tool as applicable. [5]
b. Timeline. Lay out, month-by-month, project activities to be implemented (See
handout;
Table 14-1 in your text may also be instructive). [6]
c. Budget. One page spreadsheet for costs, e.g., personnel, materials, rental fees (See
handout; Table 14-2 in your text may also be instructive). [8]
d. Letters of support. Include 2 letters from cooperating agencies, donors. [2]
e. Staff resumes. One-page resumes of key staff (team members). [4]

Might help with the budget: Cost Calculator

http://www.wallacefoundation.org/COST-OF-QUALITY/Pages/default.aspx

II. Project Description [Kayla Castellitto]

a. Target Audience:
The afterschool program we are implementing will reach 4th and 5th graders (ages 9-11) at
Lord Stirling Community School, which is located at 101 Redmond Street, New Brunswick, NJ
08901. Lord Stirling Community School houses 643 students of which 103 are 4th graders and 93
are 5th graders. The student body is composed of students of minority with 88.8% of students are
Hispanic, 10% African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% two races, 0.3% American Indian, and 0%
White (Lord Stirling, 2017).
From the community assessment, we have learned that many of the families living in
New Brunswick have low income. Thus, 92.8% of children that attend Lord Stirling Community
School participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This is a much higher
percentage of student eligible for NSLP when compared to the rest of New Jersey, 36.7%
eligibility, and the rest of New Brunswick, 87.7% eligibility. Furthermore, 90.8% of students
receive free lunch while 2% receive reduced lunch. Students who qualify for free lunch come
from a family that has an income below 130% of the poverty line ($15,171/year), and students
who qualify for reduced lunch come from a family that has an annual income 185% below the
poverty line ($21,590/year). Additionally, Lord Stirling Community School has a student to
teacher ratio of 13:1 and a male to female student ratio of 51:49 (Lord Stirling, n.d.).
This after-school program will be open to 4th and 5th graders through sign-up, but we will
only be taking 25.5% of students, which leaves open 50 spots: 25 fourth graders and 25 fifth
graders. We choose to open the program to 4th and 5th graders because we felt that age 9 to 11 is
a period in life when children begin to become interested in things and want to participate in
activities. The California Department of Education stated, “[children ages 9-11] begin to think
logically and like to work on real tasks, such as mowing lawns or baking” (Ages and Stages of
Development, 2016). Thus, this age group would be willing to learn about the importance of
fruits and vegetables, take part in the cooking demonstration, and be more likely to ask their
parents to continue these practices at home. In addition to targeting students we hope to reach
parents as well. As children we often eat the foods our parents buy and prepare for us. We will
be educating students on the importance of fruits and vegetables and showing them how to
prepare healthy snacks. However, it is up to the parents to follow through and help make these
foods with them. With that being said, we will be sending the students home with a package of
fruits and vegetables each week with a flyer describing what the students did that week in hopes
that the parents will help implement what the students learned.

b. Details of program
The layout of the program consists of a 10 minute introduction, 5 minute pre-quiz, 20
minute nutrition lesson, 20 minute cooking demonstration, 10 minute snack time, 5 minute post
quiz (same as pre-quiz), and 10 minute wrap up where the fruit and vegetable take home baskets
and recipe flyers will be distributed. The introduction for each lesson will consist of an overview
of the session: what will be done at that session, what the lesson will be on, what they will be
making, and any other specific assignments for that day. For example, each meeting will consist
of a pre-test which will test the students’ knowledge of what they do or do not know about the
specific fruit or vegetable of the week. Next, a registered dietitian will come to give a quick and
easy 20 minute nutrition lesson on the assigned fruit and vegetable. Over the 8 week program we
will be highlighting a different fruits and/or vegetables, which can be seen below. Afterward, the
students will be able to make a snack using the fruits or vegetables that were talked about in the
nutrition lesson with the help of the Dietitian, who will also be the cooking instructor. Students
will be able to make a different snack each week which can be seen below as well. Then the
students will be able to sit down and eat their snack while discussing what they learned. Finally,
the session will wrap up with a quick review of what we accomplished, complete a post-quiz,
review key learning points, and the distribution of the flyer and the fruits and vegetable baskets
the student will be taking home. The fruits and vegetables will come from the local New
Brunswick Community Farmers Market. We will be providing 4 school busses, each going to a
different section of New Brunswick as students may live all around the town, for the students so
that they can get home safely with their fruits and vegetables in tow. The busses will leave the
school at 3:45PM and drop them off at their normal bus stops that they take in the morning.
Over the 8 week program, we will be discussing a different category of fruits and
vegetables. The 8 categories are fruits, seeds, flowers, stem & shoots, leaves, tubers, roots, and
bulbs. Each week will focus on a different category and the snack will be made using a seasonal
fruit or vegetable from that category.

Week 1 (9/11): The students will be learning about fruits this week. “Fruits” include avocados,
tomatoes, berries, core fruits, stone pit fruits, etc. The seasonal fruit we will be focusing on are
apples. The snacks they will be preparing are apple slices with spreads (peanut butter and/or
greek yogurt) and toppings. The fruit basket will have apples, tomatoes, and plums in it.

Week 2 (9/25): The students will be learning about seeds this week. “Seeds” include beans, corn,
lentils, and peas. The seasonal seed we will be focusing on is sweet corn. The snack they will be
making is a black bean and corn salsa which can be eaten with whole-wheat tortilla chips. The
fruit and vegetable basket will have sweet corn, lima beans, and green snap beans in it.

Week 3 (10/9): The students will be learning about flowers this week. “Flowers” include
artichokes, broccoli, and cauliflower. The seasonal flower we will be focusing on are broccoli.
The students will be preparing broccoli in two ways: cooked and uncooked. They will be
steaming broccoli in the microwave as well as having raw broccoli with low-fat veggie dip. The
vegetable basket will have broccoli and cauliflower in it.

Week 4 (10/23): The students will be learning about stems & shoots this week. “Stems &
Shoots” include fennels, asparagus, and celery. The seasonal stem and shoot we will be focusing
on is celery. The snack they will be making is a “ants on a log”, which is celery sticks with low-
fat cream cheese and raisins. The fruit and vegetable basket will have celery and cranberries and
in it.

Week 5 (11/6): The students will be learning about tubers this week. “Tubers” include ginger
root and potatoes. The seasonal tuber we will be focusing on are potatoes. The snack they will be
making is a healthy potato salad. The fruit and vegetable basket will have Idaho, wax, and purple
potatoes in it.

Week 6 (11/20): The students will be learning about leaves this week. “Leaves” include brussel
sprouts, collards, lettuce, parsley, spinach, kale, etc. The seasonal vegetable we will be focusing
on are spinach. The snack they will be making is a spinach, feta, and cranberry salad. The
vegetable basket will have spinach, lettuce, and kale in it.

Week 7 (12/4): The students will be learning about roots this week. “Roots” include beets,
carrots, sweet potato, parsnip, or turnips. The seasonal vegetables we will be focusing on is
sweet potatoes and carrot. The snack they will be making two types of smoothies: a sweet potato
pie smoothie and a carrot smoothie. The fruit and vegetable basket will have sweet potatoes,
beets, and carrots in it. These would all be good ingredients for making a healthy morning
smoothie at home before school.

Week 8 (12/18): The students will be learning about bulbs this week. “Bulbs” include chives,
garlic, leeks, onion, and shallots. The seasonal vegetable we will be focusing on is garlic. The
snack they will be making is a roasted garlic hummus with various vegetables for dipping (Note:
the garlic will be pre-roasted before the children arrive because we only have 20 minutes for the
cooking demo and it takes about 40 minutes to roasted garlic in the oven). The fruit and
vegetable basket will have garlic, leeks, and scallions in it.

c. Duration of program
The after school program we will be implementing will be called “Snacking Smart”. It
will be offered to the targeted students biweekly from September 2018 to December 2018. This
totals to about 8 nutrition lessons and cooking demonstrations. The dates the students will be
meeting are: 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/20, 12/4, and 12/18. We choose to do the program
for 4 months: September, October, November, and December. Many people grow fruits and
vegetables in the spring and summer, however we want to teach student that these can also be
grown in the fall and winter. We will be highlighting fruits and vegetables that are often grown
during this time of year.
The each session in the program will be 80 minutes taking place right after school lets out
from 3:20 PM - 4:40 PM. Parents can sign up their child in the main office of the school starting
one-month prior to the beginning of the program. Sign up is on a first come first serve basis until
all of the spots are filled per grade.

d. Setting
The program will be conducted in the Lord Stirling Community School cafeteria. The
cafeteria offers a big enough space so that the students will be able to sit at lunch tables for the
lesson and snack time. Additionally, by having it in the cafeteria they will be near the kitchen
where cooking preparation can take place. We will need a wheel in chalkboard for the dietitian to
do her lesson on.

e. Role of staff
In order for this program to be successful will need staff to assist us in implementing this
program. We will designate Gabby Bzdyra to be the Program Director because we know the
most about the project. The role of the Program Director is over see the whole program and the
staff as well as make sure everything's running smoothly. Next we need a School Representative,
preferably a respected teach or administrator, who can advocate the program to the community
and answer questions that the parent may have. Additionally, Kayla Castellitto will be the
Program Coordinator and her job is to make sure everything we need is in place. This includes
making the flyers, making sure we have the dietitian coming, getting the supplies for the
demonstrations, and making sure we have the fruits and vegetables ready for that day. Brenda
Borba will be the Program Developer. Her job entails making the lesson plans for each week, as
well as making the budget and hiring the staff. We will also need a Registered Dietitian, RD, to
teach the nutrition lessons and conduct the cooking demonstrations. Preferably, the dietitian
should be a Pediatric RD, have some experience in nutrition education, and be able to speak
Spanish because the school’s population is mostly Hispanic students. Next, we have to gain
support from the local farmer's market to supply us the fruits and vegetables in a timely manner.
Jared Beatty will be the Program Evaluator and his role is to make sure the program is
successful. They will also be in charge of supplying the pre and post- tests to the students to
make sure that they are learning from this experience. Last but not least, we will need four
volunteers to help hand out supplies and supervise the children during the lesson, food
demonstrations, snack time, and distribution of the baskets. Most after school programs have a
15:1 student to staff ratio, therefore we will need four volunteers available to supervise the
activities (Lord Stirling, n.d.). Also, we will need the volunteers to show up one hour ahead of
time to help set up the activities and make the baskets for the students, and stay a half-hour later
to assist with cleanup.
The New Brunswick Public Schools’ slogan is Prepare, Empower, and Inspire. Thus, we
believe this program will reach all of these aspects: prepare students with the knowledge they
need about healthy eating, empower them to continue these practices at home, and inspire them
to break the barriers to good nutrition.

References

Ages and Stages of Development (2016). California Department of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/caqdevelopment.asp

Lord Stirling Elementary School (2017). National Center for Education Statistics. 2017.
Retreived November 27, 2017 from
https://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/sch_info_popup.asp?Type=Public&ID=341122003464

Lord Stirling Elementary School in New Brunswick, New Jersey (n.d.). Start Class by Graphiq.
Retreived November 27, 2017 from http://public-schools.startclass.com/l/58604/Lord-Stlrling-
Elementary-School-in-New-Brunswick-New-Jersey

III. Project Evaluation – [Jared Beatty]

a. Formative evaluation.
As stated previously, the objective of this after school program is to educate children
about nutrition and healthy cooking while providing them with fruits and vegetable food for
them to enjoy at home. It will be extremely important early on to determine whether the program
is being successfully implemented or if changes are needed. Before the first session ends the
Program Evaluator, Jared Beatty, will interview the volunteers, dietitian, and some students to
gain feedback. If the consensus concurs that some changes are need in the program it will be
implemented in the next session and further evaluated by the volunteers, dietitian, and the
students. For example, we have it structured so the nutrition lesson is before the demonstration.
Maybe the students would enjoy the session better if the demonstration activity came before the
nutrition lesson. Although the evaluator will be in charge of seeking changes and improvements,
it will be up to all of the staff to be engaged in optimizing the program. For example the staff
should be aware of the students involvement through observations throughout each session. It is
important that we see the students engaged in the activities and actively participating.

b. Summative evaluation.
There are two different ways that we will be measuring success of the after school
program. The first way is to issue a pretest prior to the nutrition lesson and the demonstrations to
see how much the children know about the fruit or vegetable topic that week. Once the lesson
and demonstration have ended the students will be issued the same quiz as a posttest to evaluate
whether or not the students learned anything from the program that week. After the session has
ended the scores will be analyzed and we will compare the test scores of the pretest and posttest
to determine whether scores have improved. This will give us an idea of whether the students are
gaining nutrition and healthy cooking knowledge from each session. On a biweekly basis the
scores will be evaluated and put into a graph form to visualize the academic progress of the
students. The pretest and posttest can be found in the supplemental material at the end of this
proposal.
We also want to know whether or not the fruit and vegetables being sent home are being
used and not wasted. Knowing that the families are using the food will give us a sense of
whether or not the community is in need of additional food assistance. If families are consistently
reporting the use of the food we can then surmise that our program is benefiting the families
financially. We can measure this by sending each child home with a survey attached with their
flyer for their parents/guardian to fill out. This survey will not only help determine the use of
food items brought home, but will also ask a series of questions for them to ask their child to
answer. Here we will ask questions regarding student enjoyment of the after school program and
whether they felt they learned something. There will also be a comment section where any
suggestions or concerns may be expressed by the families. The survey will read:

Dear Parent or Guardian,

This survey will be used to gain progressive feedback on how our program is doing. Please fill
out this survey and have your child bring it back the next time they attend the program for we
will be keeping record of the survey. We thank you for your cooperation!!! Please answer the
following questions as truthfully as possible:
1. Did your child bring home and did you receive the fruits and vegetables? Yes or No
2. Did your child or family use or consume the fruits and vegetables? Yes or No
3. Did your child enjoy the session? Yes or No
4. Does your child believe that the session was educational and that they learned
something? Yes or No
5. Do you have any comments or concerns about the program? We would like your input to
help improve the program?
c. Challenges.
It would not be possible to create a program without any challenges. One challenge we
intend on facing is the possibility of the children letting the food going to waste. Kids will be
kids, and might find it hilarious to damage the produce on their way home from the program. We
can attempt to minimize this risk by explaining to the students how much work farmers put into
harvesting the crops and their support in this program as well as tell them how appreciative their
family is that they are actively participating in the program. To further limit the damaging of
food we will be providing them with busing to get them home quickly and safely. Not only do
we not want the food to go to waste but we also want the families to eat and enjoy the healthy
food provided.
Attendance will certainly be a challenge to be met. As of right now the program is set to a
50 student cap and is on a first come first serve basis. Naturally we will be planning on having
the full set of students present at each session. Therefore, that is the amount of food we will be
planning on having. We will try to reduce the risk of having absentees by having the teachers
state a reminder at the beginning of the week and the day of the after school program. We will
also send a reminder home with the students at the beginning of the week in order to remind the
families too. Additionally, we will be taking attendance at the program to keep track of whether
the students are coming or not.
The last challenge we will face is the potential of food allergies and other safety
concerns. To reduce this risk we will be sending home a form for the parents to fill out stating if
there child has any food allergies that we should know about. We will also work closely with the
school nurse to ensure that we aware of any potential allergies. If there are any specific allergies
the students have we will be sure to adjust the recipe to avoid any allergic incidences.
Additionally, we will have 4 volunteers at each session as well as the dietitian and project
director to help supervise the cooking demonstrations because utensils and cooking equipment
will be utilized at each session.

d. Future directions.
Building on to the program is an absolute possibility for our program. Currently our
program would be functional in the fall from 4 months, September to December. In the future we
can definitely see the potential for a spring program that would take place for another 4 months
from February to June. During this segment of the school year we could focus on fruits and
vegetables that would be harvested during this portion of the year. We would also like to
potentially expand the program to allow more students to attend the program, especially in the
area of New Brunswick where a lot of families make minimal salaries.
Another way the program could be expanded is by reaching out to other schools in the
neighborhood of New Brunswick or elsewhere. It would make most sense to continue the trend
in New Brunswick initially, but other communities throughout New Jersey and the rest of the
United States are in need as well. If the students, families, and faculty enjoy the program as
much as we hope they will, changing the schedule to weekly instead of bi-weekly is a potential
option too. Increasing the frequency of sessions would give us the ability to cover more
educational material and provide more fruits and vegetables to families in need.
There are also many improvements that we can make to the program as well. We could
eventually add on a professional cook to perform the demonstration, while having the Dietitian
stick strictly to the nutrition lesson. The more we expanded as a non-profit, the more the need
will be to increase our technology and methods of evaluation. Computers and computer
programs to organize data collected and received would most likely be necessary. If our program
is to expand, our staff will have to expand as well. This means some individuals may have to
dedicate more time and energy to the program while we would need more staff or volunteers as
well.

E. Plan for sustainability.

Funding is essential to the program we have proposed. Luckily we would not be in short
supply of help after our initial funding. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is dedicated to the
prevention of obesity, specifically childhood obesity. Robert Wood Johnson is the largest non-
profit health network on the east coast. They fund programs and policies that specifically
promote healthy children and health weight. RWJ is a regular annual donor of hundreds of
millions of dollars to help prevent childhood obesity and promotion of healthy weight in
children. They also are a firm believer in creating conditions that allow communities to reach
their highest health potential possible. We believe that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
would be more than happy to be a proud partner in the promotion of healthy eating and nutrition
education in the future. (RWJ)
Another Foundation that could be a potential donor to our program is the Aetna
Foundation. Aetna is interested in funding programs nationally that benefit a community’s health
that are in much need of help. Considering the amount of families in New Brunswick that are
living in poverty, we believe that the Aetna Foundation would be interested in assisting our
program. The main goal they state is to “Profoundly impact chronic disease management,” which
is a goal we also share. We plan on achieving this by implanting the seed of nutrition education
early to help individuals make better food choices throughout their life. (Aetna)
The Campbell’s Soup Foundation is another potential funder who shares goals and values
with our program. This foundation is interested in funding programs that are focusing on ending
child hunger and obesity. We have already spoken about our goal to help make healthy lifestyles
but we are also happy to provide fruits and vegetables to make it easier on the families trying to
afford food. Even if the children are taking home an apple, it can still serve as a healthy snack to
hold them over until dinner time. They offer two cycle grants, one from January to March and
one from August to November. We would initially request the August to November grant, but
would also be interested in the January to March grant if our program expanded to the second
half of the school year. These are just a few of options we have considered as future investors in
our mission to promote healthy food choices and nutrition education. (Campbells)

References
1. Physician & Service Referral • Event & Class Registration. (n.d.). About Robert Wood
Johnson University Hospital. Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
http://www.rwjuh.edu/rwjuh/about.aspx
2. Grants & Partnerships. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://www.aetna-
foundation.org/grants-partnerships.html
3. Grant Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-campbell/corporate-responsibility/grant-
guidelines/

Below is an example survey that will be sent home after each session:
Section IV. Project Supplements
Flyer for students to take home with basket of fruits, found below.
A.
Lesson Plan

Week One: Fruits & Apples *= Only during first week of program

● Introduction to fruit or vegetable of the week & “What is a Dietitian?”*

○ A registered dietitian’s job is to advise and counsel people on food and nutrition
● Hand out pre-quiz to students to test knowledge of fruits before lesson has begun.
● “What is a seasonal food?”*
○ Seasonal fruits and vegetables are they are harvested at their ‘peak’, which means
they are generally the freshest and cheapest on the market. The fruits and
vegetables tend to have more flavor and be more nutritional when harvested
during this time. The fruits and vegetables that are in season vary from place to
 place around the world. The way in which we are getting our seasonal fruits and
vegetables is through the New Brunswick Farmer’s Market.
○ Reference:
■ Your Comprehensive List of Seasonal Foods. (n.d.). Retrieved December
09, 2017, from http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/seasonal-foods.html
● The Facts on Fruits
○ Briefly refer to MyPlate and emphasize on how we need half of our plate to be
fruits and vegetables at every meal. Dietitian will tell students how this week’s
lesson and recipe will help guide them to making healthier choices and how to
incorporate more fruits and vegetables during meal or snack times.

○
○ A fruit is the part of the plant that develops from the flower. Fruits also contain
the seed of the plant. These seeds tend to be covered and protected by the flesh of
the fruit. For example, think of a watermelon and how the tiny seeds inside are
protected by the tough green exterior layer layer of the melon. Fruits can either be
categorized to have fleshy or dry tissue. Generally, when we think of fruits, we
think of the fleshy type of fruits, which includes apples, peaches, berries,
tomatoes, etc. The dry types of fruits include olives, walnuts and other nuts.
Today we will be focusing on fleshy fruits, specifically apples and how they’re
beneficial for our bodies.
○ Reference:
■ Simple fruit. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09, 2017, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Simple_fruit
● Apples Lesson
○ This week’s focus is on apples. Apples can be red, yellow or green. They have
fiber, which helps food move through out body. Apples have vitamin C, which
helps us from getting sick. Apples are the best when eaten with the peel because
 that’s where most of the fiber is found. You can enjoy apples by eating it in its
natural form, as applesauce, jellies or jams.
○ Reference:
■ Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2017,
from https://www.gethealthyclarkcounty.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/ffvp-fruits-worksheet.pdf
● Anatomy of an apple:
○ Stem and leaves: They develop as the apple matures.
○ Skin: The thin plant tissue covering the apple.
○ Flesh: The tasty part of the apple we eat!
○ Core or endocarp: The central area that contains the seeds.
○ Seeds: The flowering of the fruit that allows it to reproduce.
○ Source:
■ Dery,Bernard.“Apple.”Accueil-DictionnaireVisuel,
infovisual.info/en/biology-vegetal/apple.

●
● Hand out post-quiz after cooking demo to see how much students have learned about
lesson.

Pre&Post Quiz (I can email this document to you, it doesn’t allow me to copy and paste the text
directly so I had to screenshot it)
Cooking Demo
Week one: Apple sliced “donuts”
Reference: Network, F. (2017, August 14). Apple Donuts. Retrieved December 09, 2017, from
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/apple-donuts-3838711

Serving: 50 students

Ingredients:
-Two jars of peanut butter 16oz *Alternative ‘nutbutter’ spread will be used if students have
peanut allergies
-Two containers of Greek Yogurt 35oz
-16oz bottle of honey
-32oz bag of raisins
-2.37oz McCormick Ground Cinnamon

Materials:
-Plastic knives, spoons
-Paper bowls
-Two biscuit cutters or melon baller
-Paper plates

Directions:
1. Slice the top and bottom from each apple and discard. Slice the apples into 1/2-inch
circles. Use a biscuit cutter or small melon baller to cut a hole in the center of each to make a
"donut."

2. Spread either peanut butter or greek yogurt onto apple ‘donut’.

3. Garnish each with a variety of the toppings, either honey, raisins, or cinnamon.

-Dietitian and volunteers will wash and pre-cut apples. They will place one apple ring on a paper
plate for each student.

-Dietitian will instruct students on ideas of how to prepare apple donuts. Students will decide
which choice of spread to use and top with either honey, raisin and/or cinnamon.

B. Timeline
Task Date
Develop lesson plans for eight-week curriculum June, 2018

Hire and train dietitian and volunteers July, 2018

Purchase produce and supplies for month of September August 20, 2018

Begin eight-week program September, 2018

Week one lesson on fruits September 11, 2018

Parents will receive program survey

Week two lesson on seeds September 25, 2018

Purchase produce and supplies for month of October
Week three lesson on flowers October 9, 2018

Week four lesson on stems & shoots October 23, 2018

Purchase produce and supplies for month of November
Week five lesson on tubers November 6, 2018

Week six lesson on leaves November 20, 2018

Purchase produce and supplies for month of December
Week seven lesson on roots December 4, 2018

Week eight lesson on bulbs December 18, 2018

Parents will receive program survey

Assess surveys and alter program accordingly to feedback January, 2019

C. Budget
Items Community Total/Four
School/week Months (8
weeks)

Personal salary/wages

Registered Dietitian $40.00/hr for two $640.00

hours

Travel

After school buses $1,950/4 busses $15,600.00

Equipment

Magic bullet blender (4) (for $160.00

smoothie week)

Fruits and vegetables from NBCFM $500.00 $4,000.00

Chalkboard on wheels (for lessons) $25.00

Supplies

Cooking demo ingredients (varies on $350.00 $2,800.00

week ie. Peanut butter, raisins, etc.)

Demo supplies (ie. Paper plates, $275.00

bowls, plastic utensils, paper bags,
and cups)

Whisker baskets for fruits and $125.00 $1,000.00

 vegetables

Contractual services

Printing for flyers/signup sheets $500.00

Total Direct Costs for Community $25,000.00

School

References:
M. (2017, September 05). School Bus Pricing. Retrieved December 09, 2017, from
https://www.busbank.com/charter-bus-pricing/school-bus-rentals/

PickYourOwn.org. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09, 2017, from

https://pickyourown.org/USapplecrop.htm

(Same as budget above, just wanted to add the screenshot to help visualize it better.)
D. Letters of support

December 8, 2017
Lauren Errickson, NBCFM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Martin Hall
88 Lipman Drive
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Brenda Borba, Project Developer

Snacking Smart
61 Dudley Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Dear Ms. Borba,

I am writing to provide my support between the New Brunswick Community Farmer’s Market
and Snacking Smart’s goal to provide our fresh produce to the students at Lord Stirling
Community School. NBCFM are aware that Snacking Smart’s goal is to teach students about the
importance of seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as tips on how to incorporate them in their
meals through cooking demos.

We strongly believe that this initiative of bringing ‘farm to table’ amongst the students will
greatly benefit their eating habits and awareness about nutrition for the long run. Snacking Smart
will be a great addition to the New Brunswick community in getting families more involved with
preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables and the nutritional benefits. We continue to provide our
support to Snacking Smart and are grateful for the monthly purchases of our produce.

Sincerely,
Lauren Errickson
NBCFM Program Coordinator

December 5th, 2017

Mayor James Cahill
City Hall, 78 Bayard Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-0269.

Brenda Borba, Project Developer

Snacking Smart
61 Dudley Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Dear Ms. Borba,

I am writing to express my support and gratitude for Snacking Smart’s initiative to provide fresh
fruits and vegetables to the children of Lord Stirling Community School. I fully believe this
program will benefit the children and their families on being more health conscious. Its programs
like Snacking Smart, that shine through the New Brunswick community and those programs we
continuously applaud and support.

Snacking Smart will be a great addition to the New Brunswick community in encouraging
families and their children to be more involved with preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables as
well as providing them the nutritional benefits. I give my full support and will continue to
appreciate programs like, Snacking Smart, which help the New Brunswick community in being
more health conscious.

Best Regards,

Mayor James Cahill

E. Resumes