Funded Projects

School Based Nutrition Education

Project Year

2026

City & State

Charleston, South Carolina

Program Name

Resident

Topic

Nutrition

Program Description

In 2024 40% of South Carolina public school students were overweight (17%) or obese (23%). One main reason for this is because children lack the necessary knowledge and skills to improve their health through behavioral change. Current literature consistently emphasizes the role of school-based nutrition education, paired with healthier school food environments and increased physical activity, in reducing BMI among school-aged children and adolescents.1,2 Despite this, schools lack the resources to provide standardized education to strengthen children’s nutrition literacy. According to data collected by the Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness, of all Charleston County School District (CCSD) schools only 3 currently report that they are teaching a nutrition curriculum, and this is in a limited number of grade levels. We met with some of the members of the CCSD Nutrition Services Department and asked them what type of project would be most helpful to address their needs regarding nutrition education. Their primary concern was standardized education of basic nutrition principles that would prepare students to engage with their existing nutrition education programs and community partners. The goal of this project is to introduce evidence-based education about basic food and nutrition principles to CCSD students. The education will be developed in partnership with CCSD Nutrition Services to create lessons that can be delivered effectively in the classroom. We will work with the Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness and their local community partners to determine which students are already receiving nutrition education and which schools/students would benefit most from this education. These partnerships will also allow us to build upon their experiences addressing these topics in the community and incorporate relevant existing community resources. We hope that this project can establish a framework for nutrition education that can supplement existing programs and be built upon in the years to come, to deliver standardized nutrition education to as many Charleston County students as possible. During this grant period our specific aim will be to develop 3 lessons on foundational topics in nutrition and food science to be taught in elementary-level (4th and 5th grade) classrooms. Each lesson will be taught in 8 classrooms by the classroom teacher during the project. At the completion of this project there will be abundant opportunity for future projects to expand on the lessons, both in topic and grade level, to develop a well-rounded nutrition curriculum in partnership with likeminded community organizations. 

Project Goal

To promote healthy nutritional habits in elementary school children in Charleston County by delivering engaging, evidence-based nutrition education that will build foundational knowledge and support lifelong healthy eating behaviors.

Project Objective 1

By June 30th, 2026 hold a focus group with school and community partners to identify 3 nutrition related topics that meet educational needs and fulfill South Carolina academic standards for health and safety education. 

Project Objective 2

By September 30th, 2026 develop 3 interactive nutrition lessons, associated teaching materials, and curriculum training resources that address previously identified topics and are developmentally appropriate for 4th-5th grade students. 

Project Objective 3

Distribute training resources to teachers to prepare for implementation of curriculum and provide ongoing instructional support throughout the remainder of the grant period to facilitate the delivery of the lessons to eight 4th and 5th grade classrooms, reaching approximately 200 students in the ’26-27 school year.

AAP District

District IV

Institutional Name

Medical University of South Carolina Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital

Contact 1

Alexandra Tompkins,MD