USA TODAY Charitable Foundation and ConAgra Foods Launch Child Hunger Classroom Project and National Competition

MCLEAN, Va.,, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY Charitable Foundation has joined forces with ConAgra Foods® (NYSE: CAG) to develop and launch a free, innovative project-based learning activity to fight child hunger in the United States. The project is open to all U.S. students in grades 7-12, in both formal and informal settings.

Through Child Hunger Ends Here® learning activities, students and youth organizations and clubs learn about child hunger, create a cause marketing plan to activate their communities and submit the results of their plan in a national competition. Enrolled participating classrooms, youth organizations and clubs or teams receive access to the USA TODAY electronic edition to conduct project research and understand real-life examples of child hunger across the nation. The students and youth groups will create a marketing plan to engage organizations in their community to collect non-perishable food products and donations to help fight child hunger.

"I'm proud of the collaboration with ConAgra Foods to support Child Hunger Ends Here as it has the potential of helping thousands of families who face hunger and food insecurity," said Diane Barrett, president of USA TODAY Charitable Foundation. "This collaboration has established a project that assists communities across the country by engaging and equipping students with the knowledge they need to implement a successful community-based campaign to fight child hunger."

The classrooms, youth groups and student teams can participate in a national competition sponsored by USA TODAY Charitable Foundation. Contest submissions will be entered by classrooms or youth groups, and by student teams. The student teams' entries will be judged on three criteria: the average number of meals collected per student in each class or group, the average number of meals contributed per person by the community organization targeted by the team's marketing plan, and a reflective essay. The student team with the highest cumulative score based on each of the above components will be the winner.  Classrooms and youth groups will be judged based on the highest average number of meals collected. The classroom or youth group that contributes the highest average number of meals will receive a prize provided by ConAgra Foods.

Members of the winning student team and the teacher or sponsoring adult will each receive an iPad. The winning classroom or youth group will receive a congratulatory luncheon hosted by ConAgra Foods' marketing executives. For more details, visit www.usatodayeducate.com/childhungerendshere.

"The need for food assistance exists in every state, county and school across the nation," noted Kori Reed, vice president, Foundation and Cause, ConAgra Foods. "More than one in five (more than 16 million) children is facing hunger in America. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual food security survey, households with children in 2010 reported food insecurity at almost double the rate for those without children."

"ConAgra Foods is a long-time advocate in the fight against child hunger," Reed added. "We want to build a community of people who are as passionate about this issue as we are, and working with USA TODAY Charitable Foundation to engage students as champions in the cause of ending child hunger will help us achieve that goal. "

ConAgra Foods is continuing its Child Hunger Ends Here campaign by also partnering with Feeding America®, Schools Fight Hunger and thousands of schools across the country. The program will rally schools to participate in nationwide food and UPC label drives, working towards ConAgra Foods' goal of five million meals donated to children and families facing hunger in America during the 2011-12 school year.

The Child Hunger Ends Here campaign builds on a commitment to help end child hunger by ConAgra Foods and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.  Since 1993, the two organizations have donated more than $35 million and 270 million pounds of food to Feeding America. More information about ConAgra Foods' Child Hunger Ends Here campaign can be found at ChildHungerEndsHere.com.

The USA TODAY Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, supports and builds alliances that enhance innovative, instructional programs and community outreach by providing the resources to promote opportunities and inspire all. It welcomes participation in efforts to engage, enlighten and inspire today's students and educators by opening their classrooms to the real world. The Foundation seeks funding from other foundations, private companies and organizations to help provide educational programs for elementary, secondary schools, community colleges and/or programs in specific disciplines or curriculum areas. The Foundation works with interested parties to collaborate on the creation of an educational program that meets the mission and goals for respective companies or organizations.

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Today, through its newspaper, website and mobile platforms, USA TODAY connects readers and engages the national conversation. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of nearly 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.4 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than ten million downloads on mobile devices. The USA TODAY brand also includes USA TODAY Education and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY