Collaborate with Community Partners

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Where people eat, learn, live, and play can make a big difference in the choices they make each day. Illinois Nutrition Education Programs works closely with community organizations and schools to improve operations, layout, signage, and more to promote healthier choices to families.

Partnerships begin by discussing your community's or organization's unique needs and what programs and services INEP can offer. Then, we work together to determine the best strategies to make the greatest impact on Illinois families.
The lists below of collaboration opportunities are not all-inclusive. We'd love to talk with you and create a plan together to meet the needs of your organization or community!

Create collaborations and partnerships focused on obesity prevention

  • Work with community coalitions to evaluate and address community needs related to obesity prevention, such as assisting with community assessments and measuring collective impact
  • Establish community-wide systems to improve service to limited-resource Illinois families, such as resource sharing and grant writing
  • Assist in the creation of policies that support changes within communities to prevent obesity

Improve healthy eating and physical activity choices

  • Complete evidence-based evaluations that provide recommendations for low- or no-cost changes to layout, signage, and food promotion to encourage healthy choices in locations such as the school lunchroom or community food pantry
  • Assist with the implementation of low- or no-cost changes recommended through evaluations, such as the Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool for food pantries or Go NAPSACC for early childhood centers
  • Assist with development of healthier systems, processes, or policies to reinforce healthy choices, such as school wellness policies and healthy donation guides
  • Provide training to staff and volunteers to promote healthier choices
  • Assist with grant writing

Increase access to healthy foods to reduce food insecurity

  • Assist with the development of community gardens and donation gardens
  • Work with schools to start projects related to gleaning and share tables to improve food security for students
  • Increase EBT access in communities at farmers markets
  • Assist with grant writing