Growing Healthier Communities
About Grady’s Classroom
Grady’s Classroom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, mission-driven organization that uses a unique educational curriculum and implementation approach that integrates animation show content, experiential learning with kids, and rigorous evaluation of the experience to help advance and promote healthy eating, active living, and food and nutrition security for all.
Societal Issue:
Nearly 1-in-5 kids between the ages of 6-19 in the U.S. are obese
Healthy eating, adequate physical activity, and limiting sedentary time are all strongly related to children's physical, mental, and emotional well being. Unfortunately, children living with obesity have grown substantially in recent decades, and that extra weight places kids at risk for serious health concerns. It can also take an emotional toll, contributing to low self-esteem, negative body image, anxiety, and depression.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Families,
Healthy Communities, Healthy Society
That's the foundation of our first project—we like to dream BIG!—and we have confidence we can achieve these impacts. Our strategy includes strong partners and partnerships, with organizations that serve children, particularly those in greatest needs and at greatest risk, and facilitates content and implementation in a way that is feasible and effective.
Program activities include school garden planning and builds, animation content backed with age-appropriate, purposeful, and targeted curricular materials (e.g., social emotional learning, nutrition and health, and gardening), and experiential learning extensions such as recipe testing, games, and tastings! Each module features a unique animation episode and then a series of session components that support the learning targets in bite-size chunks that are fun for kids and easy for staff or teachers to implement.
Edutainment
Introducing Grady's Garden! Six kids decide to create a garden to grow vegetables for their community and families.
Watch the "Let's Plant a Salad Trailer" and the
"Great Tomato Race" Trailer
Demonstrating Impact
We have reached hundreds of kids at schools and Boys and Girls Clubs so far, with great expansion planned through 2024. We have observed significant increases in children's ability to identify vegetable features as well as their willingness to try new vegetables, which are positive indicators for future healthy eating behaviors. Additional and in depth impact evaluation reports are forthcoming, including measures of self-esteem and fruit and vegetable intake among children.
Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering or in donating to support our cause, publishing Grady's Garden episodes, research collaboration opportunities, or to learn more about our model to find solutions TO IMPROVE SELF-EFFICACY AND HEALTH & WELLNESS FOR CHILDREN!
K-6 School Partners
K-6 School Partners that have participated in the Grady's Classroom Educational Program:
Sibley Elementary School, Grand Rapids, MI
Stocking Elementary School, Grand Rapids, MI
Coit Elementary School, Grand Rapids, MI
Boys & Girls Club Program Partners that have participated in the Grady's Garden educational Program
Paul I. Phillips Club, Grand Rapids, MI
Seidman Club, Grand Rapids, MI
Steil, Club, Grand Rapids, MI
Kent School Services Network, Grand Rapids, MI