Full Futures year four is complete! Our signature philanthropic program designed to advance school nutrition, Full Futures is creating meaningful impact across three of our communities: Camden, NJ; Charlotte, NC; and Hanover, PA.
We work with our partners to strengthen how students learn about, experience, and access nutritious food. Our program is built around four key pillars:
Year four, encompassing the 2024-2025 school year, saw continued growth and deeper community reach.
Here are four key highlights from 2024–2025.
With the help of new and returning partners, our impact has increased each year. We’re excited to share that this year, Full Futures:
“In my 30 plus years in the district I have never seen so many students enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables as I do now.” –Arlethia Brown, Senior Director of School Nutrition in Camden
“In my 30 plus years in the district I have never seen so many students enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables as I do now.”
Nutrition education has been a foundational pillar for Full Futures since it launched in 2021. Our partner organizations scaled up their lessons this year, reflecting continued demand.
This year, a shared focus across Full Futures partners in Camden was boosting confidence in the kitchen. Through regular professional development, Wellness in the Schools, strengthened district staff’s culinary skills while supporting menu improvements at local schools. The Food Bank of South Jersey led more than 60 nutrition education lessons that introduced students to new foods and encouraged healthy habits.
The Camden Youth Advisory Council continued to create meaningful opportunities for students through field trips, food system learning, and hands-on service – deepening leadership skills and community connection. We are encouraging students to take ownership of their school nutrition in Camden, elevating their voices.
“The success of Full Futures reflects the power of a place-based approach, shaped by the priorities and values of each city. By working hand-in-hand with local partners, we can tailor solutions that honor each community’s unique strengths and needs. These efforts not only improve health outcomes at the local level but provide a replicable model that can be implemented elsewhere.” -Kathy Higgins, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
“The success of Full Futures reflects the power of a place-based approach, shaped by the priorities and values of each city. By working hand-in-hand with local partners, we can tailor solutions that honor each community’s unique strengths and needs. These efforts not only improve health outcomes at the local level but provide a replicable model that can be implemented elsewhere.”
Food access initiatives in each of our program communities advanced our farm-to-school approach.
In Charlotte, The Bulb reestablished its barrier-free mobile market at Garinger High School, offering fresh, nutritious, no-cost produce sourced from local farms, grocery store donations, and student contributions.
Nearby, our new partner Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina hosted mobile food pantries at Full Futures partner schools. At each event, volunteers loaded families’ vehicles with 40-50 pounds of food including fresh produce, eggs, and whole grain breads.
New Hope Ministries and York County Food Bank ensured food access in Hanover, too.
New Hope Ministries’ Backpack Program provided consistent access to weekend food to students at both South Western and Conewago Valley School Districts. Each week, an average of 226 students received backpacks filled with a variety of food.
York County Food Bank introduced a Mobile Pantry Bus at a local elementary school, allowing those picking up monthly boxes to select fresh produce, dairy, and frozen meat on site. The bus offers 14 fruits and vegetables, 4 types of meat, and dairy staples like eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. The program continued through the summer and is expanding to a second school this year.
Near our headquarters in Camden, The Common Market helped bring locally sourced foods into district meals and monthly community farmers markets, expanding access to fresh, nutritious ingredients across local communities.
“Our collective success shows what’s possible when we invest in comprehensive, community-driven solutions. We’re grateful to Alliance for a Healthier Generation and our local partners who bring this work to life every day.” -Kate Barrett, President of The Campbell’s Foundation
“Our collective success shows what’s possible when we invest in comprehensive, community-driven solutions. We’re grateful to Alliance for a Healthier Generation and our local partners who bring this work to life every day.”
Have you heard of aquaponics? If you read our Full Futures report last year, you have!
Aquaponics is a method of farming that raises edible freshwater fish and vegetables together in a symbiotic environment.
100 Gardens is our aquaponics partner in both Charlotte and Hanover. Building on Full Futures aquaponics work from years past, over 1,140 students engaged with aquaponics as part of their coursework across nine schools in Charlotte. Plus, more than 1,100 pounds of leafy greens were grown and donated to the community!
We brought our 100 Gardens partnership to Hanover this year, installing a new aquaponics lab in South Western School District’s middle school. This hands-on lab will be used throughout the school year, primarily in science classes. Once fully operational, the system will produce up to 54 heads of leafy greens per week and 15–20 pounds of fish annually.
In preparation for this new lab, two teachers attended 100 Gardens’ Summer School in Charlotte, learning aquaponics history, operations, and strategies for cross-curricular integration.
Full Futures continues to demonstrate how strong partnerships and coordinated action can transform school nutrition environments, creating healthier and more equitable opportunities for students across our Campbell’s communities.
