Boston Office

It Takes a City:

Working hard hand in hand with the Boston community

It’s fair to say that without its community collaborators, the educational programs of NEP would not exist. And without the kind of long-term, committed partnerships these collaborations have become, they would not be the success that they are.

In NEP’s Boston office, program supervisor Tracie Gillespie and her staff have worked hard to increase both the quantity of their partners (thus reaching more community members) and the power of their nutrition and physical activity messages though community reinforcement. “All of our partnerships have grown,” says Gillespie. In fact, NEP currently serves 55 public schools in the Boston area and all eligible schools in Somerville, teaching students from kindergarten to twelfth grade the importance of good nutrition and an active lifestyle. That allows NEP’s educators to expand on their message year to year, taking kids from learning why breakfast is the most important meal of the day to more advanced topics, such as the benefits of whole grains and understanding nutrition labels on foods.

The key to maintaining successful partnerships, says Gillespie, is communication. “We make sure we’re a good fit for our collaborators and they’re a good fit for us.   Then we build from there.” In that regard, NEP and its collaborators have been a perfect match. “Teachers want more classes and longer sessions, and are reinforcing what we do by incorporating nutrition and physical activity messages into their lessons.”

Outside the public schools, NEP has expanded its work with area Boys and Girls Clubs and the UMass Boston GoKids program, where hands-on activities like food demos and snack-making keep kids engaged after school. Partnering with local WIC offices has proven invaluable as well, particularly at farmers’ markets, where NEP provides education, recipes, and opportunities to taste fruits and vegetables that are promoted by WIC and benefit the entire community. “Many people at the markets have children that we’ve reached through the schools. So this is a great opportunity for us to connect with the parents,” says Gillespie. Local farmers have also gotten on board, calling NEP to let them know it’s zucchini day at the market, for example, so NEP staff can come prepared with appropriate recipes and food demonstrations.

Working together from inside the community—it’s what NEP and Extension are all about, and it shows. “We’ve expanded because our community partners have seen the impact of our programs,” concludes Gillespie, “and they want to make an even larger impact.”

NEP’s school-based nutrition education programs are also available through our offices in Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, South Hadley, Springfield, and Worcester.