In 2019, in partnership with the Center for Wellness and Nutrition, Valley Children’s and the Guilds Center for Community Health launched Schools for Healthy and Thriving Students, this initiative aimed to engage school-based leaders such as superintendents, board members, and wellness champions from school districts in Fresno and Madera County to provide them with the knowledge, skills, technical assistance, and resources needed to effectively develop and implement local school wellness policies. In 2021, Schools for Healthy and Thriving Students entered Phase II and welcomed No Kid Hungry as an additional funding partner. Through the generous support of No Kid Hungry, school districts participating in Phase II will be eligible to apply for grants to help support the implementation of their health policies and practices as well participate in innovative webinars to help districts address Nutrition Insecurity and Hunger in their communities. This multi-sector partnership, led by the Center for Wellness and Nutrition, is centered on the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child framework (WSCC). The WSCC model is student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement, and the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices. This initiative is funded by Valley Children’s Healthcare and No Kid Hungry and is supported by the Public Health Institute’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and the Madera County Superintendent of Schools.

CWN has assisted the Michigan Fitness Foundation with evaluation of both a Produce for Pantries Pilot Project as well as Michigan Harvest of the Month. The purpose of the formative evaluation of Produce for Pantries explored the successes and challenges of the pilot and informed intervention development, relationship building, and future collaborations between the Michigan Fitness Foundation and Produce for Pantries nutrition educators using Michigan Harvest of the Month with food distribution sites in an effort to deliver effective nutrition education to low-income populations. “The Center for Wellness and Nutrition (Center) has been a valued partner in evaluating the revision and implementation of Michigan Harvest of the Month (MiHOTM) in retail sites and schools throughout our state. The Center’s evaluation work has helped us refine the program implementation, improve intervention fidelity, and develop tools for nutrition educators to bring MiHOTM to life in low-income schools and communities throughout Michigan. Our partnership with the Center has resulted in tools and resources that contribute to continuous program improvement, increased capacity, and our ongoing development of community partnerships key to successful implementation of MiHOTM into the future.”  – Marci Scott, Michigan Fitness Foundation.

CWN worked with the California Department of Public Health for over 15 years to administer the state’s SNAP-Ed program, the Network for a Healthy California, including: communications and media, development of culturally targeted campaigns and programs, research and evaluation, and policy and partnership development..

CWN worked with Oregon State University’s SNAP-Ed program to train local staff to implement healthy beverage education through their SNAP-Ed programming.

CWN administers all aspects of the Placer Get Fresh! Project, a SNAP-Ed project awarded to Placer Health and Human Services. CWN’s role in the project includes nutrition education activities as well as grassroots community engagement to implement policy, systems and environmental change strategies that increase access to and consumption of healthy foods and beverages and improve food security for low-income county residents, and evaluation of activities.

CWN provides technical assistance and consultation services for the Champion Providers Project, which engages physicians, clinicians, and other health providers to be champions of nutrition education and obesity prevention in their communities.

In accordance with Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGA) mission and vision to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of members, the worksite employees and the fresh produce industry toward a healthy, sustainable and profitable future, CWN implemented a demonstration project in partnership with WGA to address some of the key needs of the agricultural industry pertaining to employee and employer wellness.

Through a partnership with NNPHI, the CDC funded CWN to create the Southeast Learning Community as a way to support agencies implementing the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) in the Southeast Region of the United States. The project provides support and access to technical assistance to continue to elevate and advance successful education programs that increase a multi-sector approach through evidence-based interventions.

CWN works with this Georgia SNAP-Ed program to engage existing partners, new partners, and community residents in the development of a strategic plan that expands consistent messaging throughout the targeted communities from schools to homes to retail food outlets. The project also includes implementation of a multi-channel social marketing campaign, messages, and medium based on community feedback, including social media strategies.

PHI works with UC CalFresh on a pilot project to improve the quality, success and sustainability of the youth work within the UCCE program, as well as strengthen the link more intentionally and strategically to the 4-H program. CWN supports 4-H around Youth-led Participatory Action Research specifically to target nutrition and obesity prevention strategies. CWN also provides support for California’s FANOut committee, including an assessment, webinar and meeting facilitation, database management, and between-meeting communications with membership.

CWN is engaged in a multi-year project with AltaMed to enhance AltaMed’s CDC REACH grant’s Healthy Retail component by providing on-site trainings for grocery store employees, conducting a gap analysis of current efforts, and providing overall technical assistance for the project.

CWN worked with Leah’s Pantry to provide training for Leah’s Pantry staff, technical assistance, research, and support for the EatFresh.org website and curricula models.

CWN conducted the “Strategic Designs for the Youth Engagement Model” project to help Los Angeles County understand 1) what helps or limits successful implementation of youth engagement projects; 2) what factors influence an organization’s readiness and ability to effectively undertake this work; and 3) how the youth engagement and action research model can be refined for maximum impact.

CWN provided training and technical assistance for adult allies and youth engaged in Hawaii’s pilot Youth Participatory Action Research project.

The Center for Wellness and Nutrition facilitated an interactive training focused on California’s Rethink Your Drink campaign. The training included 1) introduction and orientation to the Rethink Your Drink Campaign used by the California Department of Public Health; 2) overview of key messages and resources; 3) hands on instruction for delivering the Rethink Your Drink adult lesson; 4) best practices for presenting Rethink Your Drink messages and activities at community events; and 5) brief description of policy, systems, and environmental change strategies related to healthy beverage promotion.