Our kids are dealing with new world problems. The anxiety, ADD/ADHD, depression and increasing suicide rates, peer pressure and body shaming, vaping, and addictions to cellphones, social media, and video games are challenges.  So are the nutritional deficiencies compromising immunity, thinking, feeling, and acting. The potential mental and physical health implications are significant. So are the environmental stressors, many commercially biased to influence developing minds. Most kids don't realize the consequences of actions due to limited life experiences and direction, so this sacred life is taken for granted.  That's why they need adult protection.
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The thoughts grew around a solution to this "growing" problem. How to get a young developing mind focused on the foundation that sets up the rest of their lives? How do we help parents and teachers to lead by example? How do we work with the schools?  How to get politicians and healthcare professionals aligned? 

Health through nutrition or "let food be thy medicine" are not mainstream concepts leading to nutritional deficiencies because this isn't taught, learned, or applied as needs to be for a healthy human.  The nutritional deficiencies and increased toxicity in the food or otherwise compromise the immunity of our children from a young age and are contrary to cultivating healthy kids. The present model doesn't satisfy the need.  
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1.  The mind needs to be entertained to capture and hold attention  
2.  Physically engaging improves the focus on a conscious task
3.  Joy creates a want for more with motivation to act and repeat the joyful experience(s)​
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An idea was "cultivated":​​​
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How can one work with all the stakeholders related to our kids and their futures by:
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1. Producing fresh nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, greens, herbs, mushrooms, or sprouts used for school lunches;
2. Teaching kids where their food comes from and what it takes to eat fresh and healthy;
3. Explaining what it takes for that plant to get on their plate or store shelves;
4. Discovering the responsibilities and time dedication needed to care for a life born;
5. Becoming hands-on to get connected to the life that gives life;
6. Exposing urban children to nature and natural processes the farm kids are typically exposed to;
7. Selling the produce excess to self-fund school extra-curricular activities;
8. Integrating plant growing into science curriculums to improve subject retention;
9. Offering new elective studies to open new passions and opportunities for students.

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The Plan
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1.  Event Presentation - an assembly event uniting stakeholders, where knowledgeable health subject matter experts will present to explain how plant cultivation is directly tied to food, metabolism, nutrition, environments, and food security.  This begins the conversation inclusive of all stakeholders where together, kindred minds can evolve the conversation and application potentials.
 
2. Implementation and Facilitation - with stakeholders (parents, teachers, school boards and trustees, government, healthcare professionals, communities, and industry) aligned to integrate the application potentials, our team will bring decades of combined expertise in horticulture, finance, risk and safety, healthcare, education, public administration, and project management to work with the stakeholders to design a customized application. This impacts us all making all of us stakeholders in this program.  We collaborate to build the best school lunch programs across the nation. The added benefits include evolving the curriculums through hands-on practical integration for the students. This dramatically increases student retention rates, while the kids connect to a life that gives life, learning the responsibilities that come with that.  Everyone eats, well. The excess goes towards fundraising for extra-curricular activities.  With our community partners and program sponsors, we can and will make a difference.  
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The Goal:  To inspire a proactive wellness approach to establish a foundation of healthy habits for life. 
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The Projects: costs, regulations, insurance, security and risk, number of students, along with stakeholder buy-in, will determine the scale and scope of the project application. The buy-in and math under facilitated project management will produce a successful integration.
 
Facilitating the Projects:  the Healthy Schools team expertise collaborates with the stakeholders to make it happen. We design and implement the model for approval amongst the stakeholders.  The attraction will encourage sponsorship and investment in the application. Fully transparent accounting assures stakeholder satisfaction.
 
Document the Project Success: A video documentary about each institution's health journey will inspire confidence in evolving the program to new schools and new markets. ​
 
 
As we grow, this page will be filled with the stakeholders, sponsors, and supporters of a "kids first, health first" purpose.
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