The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has awarded a $58,400 grant to Pebbles of Hope to conduct a pilot study to demonstrate how parent education by way of an interactive course for parents of premature infants in underserved communities leads to improvements in infant care and nutrition.  For this study, Pebbles of Hope will collaborate with several NICUs throughout the country over the course of one year to test the effectiveness of our interactive tutorial on preemie nutrition with an estimated 200 participants.

The Pebbles of Hope Thrive Guide is an interactive course – available online, on CD-ROM and via mobile devices – provided free-of-charge to parents and caregivers of premature infants in under-served areas to give them the information they need to provide the best care for their babies. This tool includes video, animation, audio and text to convey key concepts. The first module of the program, which will be piloted in this study, focuses on nutrition and covers topics such as breastfeeding, expressing breast milk, nutrition for lactating mothers and Kangaroo Care as a means to stimulate milk production.  The course can be accessed here.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

We are excited to have been selected for this award, and we thank WKKF for their support of Pebbles of Hope!