TO: The Thousands of RI Friends and Partners of Kids First:
Thank you for your work with me and with the dedicated staff members of Kids First during the past 15 years. Together (and I mean TOGETHER!), we have transformed the nutrition environments in all of our public schools, a feat most thought impossible (or unimportant) when we started our work in 1997. In fifteen years of service to Rhode Island children, Kids First spearheaded major nutrition changes in our greatest and most influential public institution for children, our schools.
Given Michelle Obama’s recent announcement of new USDA nutrition requirements for school meals, which mirror those that RI implemented nearly 3 years ago, we can all feel incredibly innovative for having figured our own way -- ahead of the USDA -- through developing, testing and cost-effectively implementing superior nutrition standards for Rhode Island’s school children.
Fifteen years ago, when I visited schools across RI, I saw vending machines filled with sugary beverages and junk food lining the halls and locker rooms of many middle and high schools. High schools sometimes had over 100 fundraisers centered around selling junk food in a single 180-day school year. Elementary students were offered tator tots, chicken nuggets and ice cream for lunch, birthday sweets in the afternoon and candy as a reward for good work - all in a single school day. There was very little in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables and none were grown in RI. All grains were highly processed and high in sugar and sodium. This was no one’s fault – it had simply become the norm for schools and in fact, unfortunately, this is still the norm for many schools across America.
read the entire letter
read the press release
WASHINGTON, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the winners of the MyPlate Fruits and Veggies Video Challenge. Dozens of contestants demonstrated innovative ways to "make half your plate fruits and vegetables" with skits, songs, and dance submitted via video to USDA. Each video provided a unique point of view to inspire adults and children to eat healthier and illustrated that fruits and vegetables can be a part of any household budget. Schools, community groups, and families shared insightful, practical tips to include fruits & vegetables in every meal and snack. In addition to the winning submissions, USDA selected 5 videos for honorable mention. Winners can be seen at http://fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov/.
Kids First is committed to supporting nutrition education and healthy food delivery. We offer professional chef, education and communications services to school districts and cafeterias. Please refer to the
Kids First Menu of Services for details.
Kids First Celebrates the Completion of 
