FRESNO - With nearly 13 million students in the United States regularly attending school hungry, one in six children can't perform at their full potential in the classroom because they lack consistent access to affordable, nutritious foods*. Recognizing the need to bring attention to food insecurity, Sun-Maid® is working with the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the leading advocate for public education, to help nutrition become a more important focus in schools and among educators.
As a leading better-for-you snacking company and the first food brand to join forces with the national association, Sun-Maid will work collaboratively with the NSBA toward providing all students access to the same nutritional resources that can help establish a more uniform foundation for equity in the learning environment.
"We know it can be challenging to ensure children are eating their healthiest each and every day, which is why we're tackling nutrition through our commitment to delivering snacks that kids crave and moms approve," said Harry Overly, Sun-Maid's CEO and President. "Through our relationship with the NSBA, we're excited to have a direct impact in schools by arming K-12 students with better choices today and educating them on how to make those same decisions tomorrow. We look forward to changing the way schools think about nutrition together."
Sun-Maid products are Smart Snack approved, meaning they meet or exceed nutritional guidelines created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They are also made with whole fruit and have no added sugar, powering students with high quality, minimally processed options for school lunches, after school programs and food insecurity platforms.
Sun-Maid's collaboration with the NSBA includes sponsorship of the 2020 NSBA Annual Conference, which consists of hosting educational sessions and focus groups for school board member attendees. Additionally, Sun-Maid will provide nutrition-based expert commentary to articles featured in NSBA's ASBJ Brief publication. The brand is also identifying potential initiatives with NSBA around STEM/STEAM, food insecurity and policy change to make a difference for America's public school students.
For almost 80 years, NSBA has been leading the effort to support and enhance public education. NSBA is a federation of 49 state associations and the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands, which represents more than 90,000 school board officials who serve more than 50 million public school students.
"School boards have an important role in educating students about the importance of nutrition," said Thomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director and CEO. "By working with a timeless and trusted voice like Sun-Maid, which shares our interest in helping students establish a healthy diet that will serve them well during their life, we can help students by drawing their attention to this significant issue."
