The holidays are all about family, friends, and, of course, food. But with inflation and the lingering impact of COVID-19, some families are finding providing a festive meal – especially a healthy one – out of reach. Fortunately, Blue Zones Project/North Texas Healthy Communities are once again making sure Fort Worth residents have the resources they need to prepare delicious meals with wholesome, plant-based ingredients.

A transformation has taken root in the school garden at Fort Worth ISD’s Bonnie Brae Elementary, with the support of community partners like Fidelity Investments and Blue Zones Project.                                                                                              

Fort Worth-area student groups were put to the test as they vied to earn four $5,000 Blue Zones Project Wellness Innovation Grant awards and make their campus a healthier place of learning. Six schools pitched their ideas via video presentation to a panel of judges for a variety of creative projects designed to help classmates reduce stress, enhance activity, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Clever. Innovative. And sometimes downright adorable.

Daggett Middle School is breaking new ground in the effort to offer more healthy food options to Fort Worth ISD students and families. With the help of Blue Zones Project, Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB), and Fidelity Investments, Daggett is now offering a healthy food pantry right on campus, a first-of-its kind effort for the school district.  

Student ambassadors at dozens of Blue Zones Project Approved™ schools across Fort Worth played an important role in helping the city become a certified Blue Zones Community®. Now, a new generation of student leaders are working to sustain those healthy practices and seek new ways to integrate well-being on their campuses. More than 350 student ambassadors from 29 area schools came together in late October for the Blue Zones Project^® Power 9^® Camp student summit. The half-day summit, underwritten this year by the R4 Foundation, focused on developing, maintaining, and sharing healthy habits at school and beyond.

Daggett Middle School students returning to campus this month will discover that their school is making the grade when it comes to healthy choices, thanks to Blue Zones Project and Fidelity Investments.