SnackTime Explorers recognized for its innovative nonprofit, private, and government collaborative model!
Pilot Light and FRESHEALTH at DNO Produce are honored to announce that our SnackTime Explorers program has been selected as one of the Top 100 Chicago Innovation Award Finalists! We have been chosen out of 350 nominees for this honor, and are nominated alongside some of the most innovative new products and services across Chicago region businesses and nonprofits. This November 14th, over 700 business and civic leaders will attend the 23rd Chicago Innovation Awards ceremony honoring the winners of this year’s awards.
We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized for the innovation and creativity behind SnackTime Explorers. This groundbreaking educational toolkit has been designed in partnership with the amazing team at FRESHEALTH to supplement the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The FFVP provides fresh produce snacks to millions of students in public schools across the country, creating opportunities for young learners to sample a variety of fruits and vegetables together outside of cafeteria meal times. However, we and our partners at FRESHEALTH recognized the unique opportunity to add an educational element to this federally funded program through SnackTime Explorers. This educational toolkit partners with teachers serving FFVP snacks in their classrooms to transform regular classroom snack time into an exciting exploration of fresh produce, inspiring curiosity and connection between students. Learn more about our latest SnackTime Explorers teaching cohort here!
It is a true honor to be recognized for SnackTime Explorers’ innovative model by the Chicago Innovation Awards! In addition to being named a top 100 finalist, we are also eligible to win the publicly-voted People’s Choice Award at this year’s ceremony. You can help us by voting for Pilot Light (page 6) at: https://chicagoinnovation.com/nominations/!
“Chicago continues to rise as a global hub of innovation that cuts across industries, large corporations and startups, for-profits and non-profits,” said Luke Tanen, President and CEO of Chicago Innovation. “The impact that this year’s nominees generated is profound – their new products and services generated $4.2 billion in revenues and created over 5,900 new jobs.”
As one of the Top 100 Finalists, Pilot Light will receive a $2,500 scholarship to attend The Practical Innovator, a day-long executive education course on October 1st led by top faculty who teach innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Out of the Top 100 Finalists, the judges will select 20 winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards. In addition to being celebrated at the Chicago Innovation Awards on November 14th , the winners will be invited to ring the Nasdaq Bell in New York City and receive widespread media recognition.