Texas Students Build a Culture of Belonging Through No One Eats Alone Day in Partnership with Superior HealthPlan and The Centene Foundation

1.5 million students nationwide participated in this year's event, organized by Beyond Differences.

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For a ninth consecutive year, Superior HealthPlan ("Superior"), a leading managed care organization in Texas and a Centene company (NYSE: CNC), worked with local schools to celebrate No One Eats Alone® Day, a unique program designed to address social isolation. Sixteen schools hosted events in February, with the help of Superior, reaching thousands of students across Texas. The Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene, sponsored the event.

Students at Robert R. Rojas Elementary School in El Paso participated in No One Eats Alone Day, one of 16 schools in Texas to partner with Superior HealthPlan on the initiative.

"For nearly a decade, we've worked closely with schools in Texas to offer this program to students, which we believe provides them with skills and resources they can use to better support each other," said Mark Sanders, Superior HealthPlan president and CEO. "No One Eats Alone Day is an effective initiative from Beyond Differences that serves as a reminder about the social issues that can affect students in Texas and beyond."

The 16 participating schools in Texas were:

Lalla Odom Elementary School, Austin
Palm Grove Elementary School, Brownsville
Resaca Middle School, Brownsville
Burkburnett Middle School, Burkburnett
Haas Middle School, Corpus Christi
Moody High School, Corpus Christi
Cunningham Middle School, Corpus Christi
Robert R. Rojas Elementary School, El Paso
Sam Houston Elementary School, Houston
Los Cuates Middle School, Los Fresnos
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Permian Basic, Odessa
Las Yescas Elementary, San Benito
Liberty Memorial Middle School, San Benito
Douglas Elementary School, Tyler
CIS Central Texas, Waco
Beatriz Middle School, Weslaco

According to the Centers for Disease Control, social isolation and loneliness put a person at risk of developing serious mental and physical health conditions. The former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has pointed to Beyond Differences and its peer-to-peer support programs that help build connection, self-esteem, and a culture of belonging at schools, which underscores why schools nationwide and in many countries around the world celebrate National No One Eats Alone® Day.

The nonprofit organization Beyond Differences® established No One Eats Alone® Day to combat social isolation. This year, 1.5 million students across the country participated in lessons, interactive exercises, and creative art projects to help them work together to make their school more welcoming for everyone.

Learn more about No One Eats Alone® Day at nooneeatsalone.org.

About Superior HealthPlan
Founded in 1999, Superior HealthPlan is a managed care company that delivers quality healthcare throughout Texas. Committed to transforming the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time, Superior supports active local involvement in all 254 Texas counties with more than 3,300 employees throughout the state. Superior is a Centene company, a leading healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information visit www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

About the Centene Foundation
The Centene Foundation (the "Foundation"), a private nonprofit focused on investing in economically challenged communities, is the philanthropic arm of Centene (NYSE: CNC). The Foundation supports projects and initiatives strategically aligned with Centene's mission-driven culture and enhances the work Centene is doing to remove the barriers to wellness underserved and low-income populations face. The Foundation is committed to addressing social determinants of health and improving health equity in three distinct areas of focus: healthcare access, social services, and education. To learn more, visit the Centene Foundation's website.

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 is a youth-led social justice movement, empowering students to become activists and change the culture in their schools. Beyond Differences provides Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) tools to disrupt social isolation and change the world, starting with how students treat each other at school and online. Programs include Know Your Classmates®, No One Eats Alone®, and Be Kind Online®. All curriculum and activity kits are provided free for schools. Currently, more than 10,000 schools use Beyond Differences' programs and materials.

Superior HealthPlan (PRNewsfoto/Superior HealthPlan)

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