Kroger Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation Sponsors National STEM Festival

Foundation leading conversations on food access, food security and waste challenges

CINCINNATI, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co . (NYSE: NYSE:KR) Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation today announced it is sponsoring the 2024 National STEM Festival co-presented by EXPLR and the U.S. Department of Education April 12-13 in Washington, D.C. The festival is the first-ever nationwide initiative to foster creativity, critical thinking and a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects among middle and high school students.

"We are excited to meet the talented young minds behind the innovations changing the future of food," said Tim Massa, senior vice president and chief people officer at Kroger. "For 140 years Kroger has been at the forefront of food innovation driven by the passion of our people like these STEM Champions. Cultivating this talent is an investment in our future and critical to our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste vision."    

Last fall, The National STEM Challenge invited students in grades 6-12 from across the U.S. and its territories to conceive and submit STEM innovations, inventions and research across six categories: Environmental Stewardship, Future Foods, Health and Medicine, Powering the Planet, Space Innovation and Tech for Good. In February, 126 STEM Champions were invited to attend and showcase their projects at the festival.

The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, a nonprofit public charity established to direct charitable funds to organizations and innovators aligned with Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan, is sponsoring the Festival's Future Foods pillar. Students were challenged to research, design and propose practical ideas for more sustainable and equitable food production, distribution and consumption, considering factors such as food security, resource conservation and a changing climate.

"The students participating in the STEM Festival have world-changing ideas, from innovative solutions to reduce food waste to advancing climate research," said Keith Dailey, group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer for Kroger. "We are so inspired and energized by these outstanding students and look forward to celebrating their work in Washington, D.C."

The Kroger Co., recognized for its culture and commitment to creating a workplace that respects and values every community, has opportunities for Future Foods-related STEM jobs across the company “ from culinary innovation for planet-forward foods to leading in-house finance, technology systems and supply chain teams.

For more information about the National STEM Festival, visit: www.nationalstemfestival.com

About Kroger
At The  Kroger  Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of  banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our  newsroom  and  investor relations  site.

About The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation
The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2018. Since its formation, the organization directed more than $59 million to organizations, innovators and changemakers across the U.S. who are working to end hunger and waste in their communities. It encourages organizations and founders to work together, catalyze innovation and create a food system that will serve America into the future.  Visit  https://zerohungerzerowastefoundation.org to learn more.

About EXPLR
EXPLR's mission is to help kids thrive in school and life by providing real-world, rigorous, and relevant educational resources. EXPLR is a streaming video and curriculum service for grade 5-12 students, teachers, and families that helps bridge critical gaps in K-12 education. It was co-founded by leading education and entertainment figures  Jenny Buccos  (founder of ProjectExplorer),  Kari Byron  (former Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) Channel Mythbuster ), and  Andrew Zimmern  (TV personality, producer, and U.N. World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador). Since launching in 2021, EXPLR has been used in over 500 schools across 23 US states.