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Making Healthy Fun

8th Grade partners with local nonprofit to improve access to nutritious food
Trinity’s eighth grade class is setting a great example for how students can connect with their grade-level community partners. The class of 2023 has partnered with Greater Richmond Fit4Kids, a local nonprofit working with populations to create access to physical activity and healthy eating.

As part of this partnership, Fit4Kids program manager Nellie Bradley visited Trinity in September to introduce students to the nonprofit and its mission of “making healthy fun,” as well as issues facing communities without easy access to grocery stores, also known as “food deserts.”

Later in the year, eighth graders revisited the concept of food deserts through the study of food environments in geography class. They traveled to the Tricycle Gardens, a leader in urban agriculture in Richmond, to learn about community gardens and how they can help improve nutrition in these communities.

As the year progressed, students began a service learning project in which they studied issues of socioeconomic status and its effect on access to nutritious food. At the end of this project, the entire class went Southampton Elementary to volunteer with Fit4Kids during Fruits and Veggies Week in late March. Trinity students helped run a food stand by preparing and serving samples of a variety of fruits and vegetables to the Southampton students.

“We would like every kid to try a sample and make it a fun environment,” said Bradley, who also said the support of the Trinity eighth grade volunteers was invaluable. “The only way this is possible is with volunteers.”

With "Community Engagement" established as a major theme of the school's five-year strategic plan (Honor the Mission), each grade level has committed to year-long partnership with a local non-profit for targeted service and support. Trinity students will support each organization with volunteer events on campus as well as on-site at their organization.

Grade-Level Community Partners (2018-19):
  • Grade 12 - James River Association
  • Grade 11 - Shalom Farms
  • Grade 10 - Sportable
  • Grade 9 - The Doorways
  • Grade 8 - Fit4Kids
Read more about Community Engagement at Trinity at https://www.trinityes.org/school-life/community-engagement
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Trinity Episcopal School

3850 PITTAWAY DR | RICHMOND VA 23235-1099 | Phone: 804.272.5864 | Fax: 804.272.5865 Email: mail@trinityes.org