Student-to-Student Nutrition Education Made Possible Thanks to New Partnership Between Sodexo and 12-Year-Old Tulsa Culinary Phenom

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Students in school districts nationwide are learning about good nutrition from their parents, teachers and school nutrition team members, but there isn't a lot of peer-to-peer dialog on this vitally important issue.  An innovative new partnership between Sodexo and Chef Remmi Smith, an 12-year-old aspiring chef in Tulsa, Okla., is bringing a new kid-level perspective to nutrition education and allowing students to learn from one of their own. 

(Photo:   http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/NE08726 )

Sodexo just named Remmi the company's first-ever Student Ambassador to Health and Nutrition and in that role she will have an opportunity to positively impact the lives of students in nearly 500 Sodexo-served school districts across the country.

Already a champion of student nutrition and wellness through social media/digital media channels and her "Cook Time with Remmi" online and TV show, Chef Remmi will now have an opportunity to reach more students across the country than ever before by working closely with Sodexo to help students get excited about good nutrition.  With this partnership, Remmi will also be able to take a student nutrition leadership role by inspiring kids to make healthy food choices both in and out of school.

"I'm so excited to be a role model and to have a chance to help kids live healthier lives," said Chef Remmi.  "It makes me feel really good knowing that students all over the country will benefit from my love of both nutrition and cooking!"

Although she just started in her new ambassador role, Chef Remmi already made splashes at two national events.  Remmi stole the show when she appeared with Sodexo representatives at both the National School Boards Association 2012 Annual Conference & Exposition in Boston in April and the National Restaurant Association's NRA Show 2012 in Chicago in early May.

"As our Student Ambassador to Health and Nutrition, Chef Remmi can give us the viewpoint of our ultimate customer – the children we serve every day.  She can also provide invaluable insight into ways we can enhance our programs to better meet students' needs," said Steve Dunmore, president of Sodexo Education-Schools. "I am excited about this partnership and I can't wait to see all the great things Chef Remmi and Sodexo can do together."

Chef Remmi

Chef Remmi has distinguished herself through her work in digital, social and mainstream media and she is recognized as a nutrition and wellness expert that can truly relate to students and the challenges they face daily. For more information regarding Chef Remmi, please visit http://www.cooktimewithremmi.com/.

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, delivers On-site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government and Remote Site segments, and Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions

Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as a partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 413,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of Quality of Life Services. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

SOURCE Sodexo