The Foundation for Fresh Produce recently convened global nonprofit leaders, funders and practitioners in Denver June 23-24 for the inaugural Child Nutrition Education Network Leadership Fellows Retreat.  

The retreat was designed to support leaders, support organizations, and strengthen the broader community of organizations working to improve children's health through nutrition education. Participants engaged in capacity building seminars, networking opportunities, leadership development sessions and discussions on the greatest opportunities and challenges facing the sector today.

Throughout the convening, one message emerged consistently: nutrition education needs to become a foundational part of children’s health, education and wellbeing. Children deserve an education system where food, health, culture and cooking skills are woven into everyday learning — from classrooms and cafeterias to school gardens and communities.

"At a moment when child nutrition education faces real headwinds, this gathering reminded me why community is our greatest asset,” said  Debra Eschmeyer, founder of Original Strategies. “These are resilient leaders from across the globe, united around a common north star — that every child reaches their full potential and grows up healthy. That shared commitment is exactly what this sector needs right now."

The convening also highlighted the need for greater coordination across the field. While hundreds of organizations are advancing innovative approaches to child nutrition education, participants identified an opportunity to align around a shared narrative, common measures of success and collective priorities that can help accelerate investment and policy change.

Recognizing the value of greater alignment and coordination, the foundation recently launched The Child Nutrition Education Network Map, a first-of-its-kind interactive resource designed to connect organizations working in child nutrition education. The Network Map helps users discover organizations and resources, identify funding opportunities and uncover new pathways for collaboration and shared learning.

“The challenges facing child nutrition education are too complex for any one organization to solve alone,” said Samantha Nesrallah, program director of the Child Nutrition Education Network. “This retreat demonstrated the power of bringing leaders together to share ideas, build trust, and explore opportunities to work together. When we strengthen the people leading this work, we strengthen the impact of programs reaching children and families around the world.” 

According to The Foundation, the Leadership Fellows Retreat is one element of a broader strategy to build a stronger, more connected global network dedicated to advancing child nutrition education. In addition to in-person leadership development opportunities, the Network provides year-round engagement through virtual meetings, shared resources such as the Network Map, and other opportunities for collaboration across sectors.

“The produce industry has long understood that improving access to fruits and vegetables requires more than availability — it requires education, inspiration and trusted community partnerships,” said Lauren M. Scott, president of The Foundation for Fresh Produce. “By investing in leadership development and creating opportunities for collaboration, the Child Nutrition Education Network is helping nonprofit organizations amplify their impact, elevate the importance of nutrition education, and ultimately help more children and families build lifelong healthy eating habits. We are proud that the produce industry is helping bring these leaders together and strengthen this growing global movement.”