Photo depicting Grow Healthy

Grow Healthy

Grow Healthy Team Nutrition is an elementary school and childcare/preschool wellness program, made possible by a grant from the USDA to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and implemented by Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Department of Family & Community Health Sciences (FCHS). Grow Healthy joins families, schools, childcare/preschool sites, and the community together so they can make wellness and learning top properties.

Grow Healthy combines gardening with nutrition, physical activity, agriculture, and the benefits of buying locally grown food, into fun, hands-on projects that support NJ Core Curriculum Content standards. There are nutrition lessons in the classroom, school and family wellness events, food service trainings, and wellness council support – all of which build healthier kids and families too.

Grow Healthy assists schools with sustaining an overall healthier school environment and teaches students and their families to live healthy in these ways:  

  • Make smart food choices and eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • Select more locally grown foods.
  • Move more and be active.
  • Improve overall school wellness environment.

Learn More about Grow Healthy »

Grow Healthy is a collaborative school wellness initiative of Get Moving-Get Healthy New Jersey, Family & Community Health Sciences (FCHS), Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, USDA/Team Nutrition and New Jersey schools.


  1. Rutgers
  2. Executive Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  3. School of Environmental and Biological Sciences