Photo Courtesy of Miami Herald
A math teacher in Miami, George A. Caesar, created Smoothies 4 Students, which provides smoothies to students who may struggle with not having healthy food options, and in turn, affects their school performance.
Caesar spoke to the Miami Herald on how students often show up to class “low on energy, grumpy, and making silly mistakes on their lessons,” and how the idea of Smoothies 4 Students came to life after “a colleague at his Liberty City High School suggested students were hungry.”
“I thought of myself when I’m hungry; I’m barely functioning, I’m not a nice person. I’m definitely not high-performing the way I want to be,” he added.
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“We set out to meet our students where they are and serve them something that they want, to help them not just in their lives but also to be able to take advantage of what public education is supposed to be — an equalizer,” said Caesar.
“We teach them about the different steps that they can take to eat healthy, and then we also have smoothies for the students,” he added.
According to Smoothie 4 Students’ website, “The mission of Smoothies 4 Students is to provide nutrition education and healthy food options to students in marginalized communities and schools. We aim to empower navigate beyond institutional obstacles such as food apartheid, and combat diet-related illnesses while building healthier generational habits.”
Smoothies 4 Students is currently expanding with its Nutrition Change Agent Program, which provides students with kits to make. “We want to truly empower lifelong changes in habits that are going to help health outcomes,” Cesar said.
Caesar hopes to employ to students and recent graduates and said, “My dream is to have students essentially working most aspects of this organization, from food production to management to delivery. They’re this talented base of amazingly creative and hardworking young people who just haven’t been given an opportunity.”
“Imagine the power of having graduating seniors providing their little brothers and sisters and their friends with the healthy breakfasts and just what that means — the power of a community that takes care of itself. That’s what we’re trying to do,” he added.