The School Lunch Initiative is a private-public partnership between the Chez Panisse Foundation, the Berkeley Unified School District, and the Center for Ecoliteracy. The School Lunch Initiative seeks to transform the way children are educated about food, health, and the environment.
Overview
Launched in 2004, the goal of the School Lunch Initiative is to change what all 10,000 Berkeley public school children eat for lunch in school, and how they learn about food, every day.
The School Lunch Initiative is reinventing the district's meal program so that students are offered freshly prepared meals in school. It also seeks to establish a kitchen, a garden, and a lunchroom in every school in the district.
Impact
In October 2005, the Chez Panisse Foundation helped hire Ann Cooper, a chef and former Kellogg Food and Society Fellow, as the Director of Nutrition Services for the district. Through Cooper's persistence we have eliminated nearly all processed foods in the district and introduced fresh and organic foods to the daily menu, while remaining within the district's food service budget.
The School Lunch Initiative partners are working with the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute to evaluate the Initiative's impact on student attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. Read the Year One Progress Report of the School Lunch Initiative Evaluation.
Support
We seek funds for the district-wide implementation of the School Lunch Initiative over three years. This support will enable us to build a robust, replicable model for reinventing the school meal program locally and nationally. Learn how you can help.
Visit the School Lunch Initiative web site >
Visit the BUSD web site >
|
 |
