ALEXANDRIA, Va., (April 12, 2022)—National PTA is pleased to announce that Yum-o!, one of Rachael Ray’s non-profit organizations, has become the association’s newest Proud National Sponsor. With support from Yum-o!, National PTA will work with district/council/region PTAs to explore and identify community needs and provide nutrition education in their communities. The goal of the program is to help families develop healthier relationships with food and cooking, which is a vital strategy to improving physical health.

“Healthy children learn better and are more productive—both in and out of the classroom. Providing our nation’s youth and their families with healthy food options and nutrition education is key to their long-term health and success,” said Anna King, president of National PTA. “PTA and Yum-o! share a commitment to empowering children and families with information and resources, and we are excited to team up with Yum-o! to make cooking and healthy food choices easy and fun for families.”

As part of the nutrition education project, eight district/council/region PTAs have been selected to each receive a $5,000 grant. With the funding, these PTAs will assess their community’s existing health and nutrition needs, develop a plan for activating nutrition and healthy eating education efforts to address those needs, and partner with local PTAs and other local organizations to implement their plans. Their efforts may include nutrition and healthy eating education and advocacy or hosting National PTA’s health and nutrition programming, such as family tasting nights or Healthy Hydration programs.

“Eating habits are formed at a young age and if kids and families are given opportunities and knowledge, they will make better food choices,” said Rachael Ray. “Through Yum-o!’s three core work areas of Cook, Feed and Fund, Yum-o! educates kids and their families about food and cooking, and we are psyched to team up with PTA in this work.”

The nutrition education program is part of National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles initiative, which includes the three pillars of healthy bodies, healthy minds and healthy earth. The initiative offers educational resources and engagement opportunities that empower students and families to make better-informed health decisions.

“Through our Healthy Lifestyles initiative, National PTA is focused on helping families be physically healthy by following a healthy diet and doing regular physical activity; strengthen their mental health and social and emotional well-being by making it an everyday priority; and support our planet and local communities to build the best future,” said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “National PTA remains committed to improving the overall health and well-being of families across the country because we know living a healthy lifestyle is a key component to our students’ ability to thrive.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

About Yum-o!

Yum-o! is Rachael Ray’s nonprofit organization that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. By providing the tools to create easy, affordable and delicious meals, Yum-o! is changing the way America eats. Yum-o!’s three work areas include educating kids and their families about cooking, feeding hungry American kids and funding cooking education and scholarships. For more information about the Yum-o! organization, please visit Yum-o.org.