70 KENTUCKY SCHOOLS AND WELLCARE OF KENTUCKY CREATE A CULTURE OF BELONGING AS THEY CELEBRATE NATIONAL NO ONE EATS ALONE DAY

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Feb 27, 2023, 08:00 ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Building a culture of belonging makes schools and communities stronger. WellCare of Kentucky and 70 local schools celebrated a positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion among students in the commonwealth this February.

Students at John M Stumbo Elementary in Gethel, Kentucky, joined more than 2,000 schools across the country in celebration of No One Eats Alone Day.

Representatives from WellCare hosted events in honor of No One Eats Alone^® Day, created by the nonprofit Beyond Differences™. More than 35,000 students participated in activities designed to teach them about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on health and academic performance. With in-class lessons, interactive exercises, and a new creative art project that focuses on empathy, students worked together to make their school more welcoming and accepting for everyone.

"At WellCare, we're committed to helping children lead healthier lives, and that includes educating and empowering youth to promote inclusion," said Corey Ewing, WellCare's Plan President in Kentucky. "We are proud to partner with Beyond Difference to celebrate No One Eats Alone Day and give students in Kentucky the tools they need to remain focused on their health and social lives."

"This year's No One Eats Alone lesson plans get to the root of social isolation by teaching students about empathy to build connection and belonging," said Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. "Our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Teacher's Guide also includes FIRE: Fostering Immigrant + Refugee Empowerment, a featured curriculum from our National Teen Board of high school students who have first-hand experience with these struggles and created exercises and activities to promote acceptance and belonging for these communities."

The 70 schools joined thousands of schools across the country that celebrated No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than 1 million students in all 50 states.

No One Eats Alone Day is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation.

About WellCare of Kentucky
WellCare of Kentucky provides government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors, and individuals with complex needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans across the state. WellCare is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information, please visit wellcare.com/kentucky.

About Beyond Differences
Nonprofit Beyond Differences' mission is to inspire students to end social isolation in middle schools and create a culture of belonging for everyone. Founded in 2010, Beyond Differences has created year-round programs to tackle a wide range of issues that lead to social isolation, including Know Your Classmates with lessons that focus on Stand Up for AAPI Youth, No One Eats Alone and Be Kind Online. All curriculum and activity kits are provided free for schools. Currently, more than 9,500 schools use Beyond Differences programs and materials. For more information, visit nooneeatsalone.org.

SOURCE WellCare of Kentucky