GENYOUth

GENYOUth is a national nonprofit organization that inspires and educates youth to lead the charge to create healthy, high-achieving school communities. Since our founding in 2011, we have partnered with more than 75,000 schools across the country to offer our signature nutrition, physical education and social entrepreneurship programs, positively impacting the wellness and career readiness of over 42 million youth. In Miami-Dade County, 1 of 5 children live in food insecure households where families do not have consistent access to nutritionally adequate foods due to a lack of money and other resources, posing risks to a child's health and development. Students who are well-nourished have a better chance of being successful in the classroom (those who eat school breakfast achieve 17.5% higher test scores on standardized math tests), and according to research conducted by the Food Research and Action Center, innovative practices like the use of portable service stations to serve healthy, easy-to-grab food at school are critical for students prone to skipping breakfast. However, according to USDA data, 88% of schools report lacking at least one piece of equipment required to serve healthier foods. This winter, as a celebration of the NFL's 100th Anniversary and Miami hosting Super Bowl LIV, GENYOUth is granting portable Grab and Go breakfast carts to 100 schools in South Florida, including 49 middle schools in Miami-Dade County. The carts are proven as most effective in growing breakfast participation among students, are valued at $7,000 each, and last a minimum of five years. This equipment will help schools serve food through the federally funded National School Breakfast program and increase access to 4.8 million school meals in the first year of use alone. While we've raised 67% of our fundraising goal, we need the community's help to close the gap on Give Miami Day and ensure students are nourished and better equipped for learning throughout the school day.