Shannon’s longtime mission has been to both educate our children about total health, and to provide them with the necessary tools to take charge of their own wellbeing. In order to best focus her efforts, Shannon adopted Veggie U as her platform when she became a National Spokesperson on behalf of this not-for-profit organization.
WHAT IS VEGGIE U?
- Veggie U both teaches and excites children about leading a lifestyle that involves good nutrition and healthy eating habits. To accomplish this, Veggie U distributes a five-week science curriculum to 4th grade and special needs classrooms nationwide. This interactive experience instills the importance of making wise food choices while giving kids the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.
- Veggie U is a classroom experience that not only energizes and inspires students at their age, but also allows them to experience the “magic and beauty of the process.” When our children invest time and effort into the five-week Veggie U program, it serves as a natural hook for educating them about healthy eating habits!
- Veggie U satisfies “No Child Left Behind” requirements and all national science standards for the 4th grade. This curriculum was developed through a collaboration of top chefs, educators, a nutritionist and a physician. Participating classrooms receive a Veggie U kit complete with a lesson plan, seeds, soil, flats, root view boxes, grow lights, a worm farm and a sampler box of sustainably grown vegetables.
- Veggie U has placed kits in over 2,000 classrooms across 26 states to date.
- Consider a sample of the possible impact that this program shows: If 100 area schools have 4th grade classes with 25 children per classroom, Veggie U directly touches 2,500 students. Experience with other schools has shown that each child exposed to the Veggie U program touches an additional 8 people (including siblings, parents, relatives and other friends). That’s educating 20,000 residents of the community how to live healthier! This has the potential to reach even more people each school year as kits are replenished and the process starts anew!
Veggie U’s parent organization is The Chef’s Garden--the leading grower of artisinal produce in the nation, supplying culinary ingredients to top chefs all around the world! The Chef’s Garden also founded The Culinary Vegetable Institute, a learning centre for innovative and progressive top chefs to share knowledge, experiment, discover new growing and preparation techniques, etc.
EXCTING NEWS!
MAY 2011: Veggie U has adopted Shannon’s Five Session Fitness Challenge as a compliment to their own curriculum, and will be adding her program to theirs as Veggie U continues to reach over 2,000+ classrooms across 26 states evey year!
JANUARY 2011: The China State Visit official dinner at the White House (enjoyed by President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and President Hu and distinguished guests) was provided by none other than Veggie U/The Chef’s Garden on January 19th, 2011! The meal was described as being “the best of America...quintessentially American...reflecting the best of the country’s agriculture...mirroring the goals of the White House Kitchen Garden, started by the First Lady.”
OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
VEGGIE U
THE CHEF’S GARDEN
THE CULINARY VEGETABLE INSTITUTE
