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Tag: school food

  • New Report Shows Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway Program is Strengthening California’s School Food Workforce

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    Evaluation Reveals Strong Participant Satisfaction, Career Advancement and Improved District Meal Operations as California’s Bold School Food Vision Gains Momentum


    SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 29, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Chef Ann Foundation, in partnership with Food Insight Group (FIG), has released a Midpoint Evaluation Report for the Healthy School Food Pathway (HSFP) program – a groundbreaking workforce development initiative designed to support aspiring and existing school food professionals in gaining the skills they need to create and manage successful K-12 scratch-cook meal operations. The report highlights the program’s growing impact on California’s school food workforce, demonstrating how strategic investment in training and career development is helping schools serve healthier meals while advancing the state’s broader goals in public health, agriculture, and workforce readiness.

    Launched in 2022, HSFP was designed to address longstanding challenges across public school nutrition departments-particularly underinvestment in the workforce – by providing structured, sequential career development opportunities. The three-tiered program includes a paid, seven-week Pre-Apprenticeship focused on foundational skills; a paid, nine-month Apprenticeship offering hands-on culinary experience; and a 13-month Fellowship emphasizing leadership development and advanced, scratch cooking-focused school food operations.

    The Midpoint Evaluation Report set out to understand what supports or hinders participation in the HSFP program, track changes in participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward school food careers, follow career trajectories of participants, and assess the program’s impact on host districts.

    Drawing on feedback from over 230 participants, alumni, and district leaders from 2022-2024, the evaluation noted strong, positive results:

    • 77% of Pre-Apprentices, 71% of Apprentices, and 93% of Fellows reported using the knowledge and skills they learned regularly in their school kitchens.

    • 93% of Pre-Apprentices, 100% of Apprentices, and 100% of Fellows reported HSFP had substantial impacts on their careers, with 100% of Apprentices and Fellows continuing to work in the district where they completed the program.

    Participating districts also noted positive program results:

    • 94% reported improved leadership development

    • 90% reported improved culinary skills

    • 89% reported improved technical skills and knowledge

    • 85% reported improved morale and engagement

    • 74% reported improved staff capacity

    • 43% reported an increase of new hiring or promotion of staff

    “This report confirms what we’ve long believed – when you invest in the people behind school meals, you transform entire systems,” said Mara Fleishman, CEO of Chef Ann Foundation. “School food service is uniquely complex. It operates under strict federal nutrition standards, local regulations, and often without stable funding, yet we’ve historically overlooked the professionals running it. The Healthy School Food Pathway program is addressing that gap head-on, building a workforce with the training and skills needed to deliver on California’s bold future vision.”

    The Healthy School Food Pathway program is aligned with California’s historic $2.2 billion investment to transform school food into a driver of public health, economic vitality, and educational equity. With more than 800 participants and 99 California host districts engaged to date, HSFP is proving to be a powerful strategy for building and sustaining a skilled, mission-driven school food workforce across the state.

    Read the full report HERE.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Announcing the “Understanding the School Food Workforce Subgrants” Awardees

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    Press Release
    •

    Apr 24, 2025

    Four research projects have been funded to better understand the current state of the K-12 school food workforce and how developing this workforce could improve the quality of school meals


    BOULDER, Colo., April 24, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Food Insight Group, and the Chef Ann Foundation have collectively awarded $800,000 across four research projects to study the U.S. school food workforce, which is responsible for feeding and nourishing approximately 30 million K-12 students on an average school day. The funding for this research has been provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    “For years, school districts across the country have reported ongoing challenges with hiring, training, and retaining school food workers, resulting in pervasive labor and skill shortages that can impact the quality of meals served to students,” said project lead Dr. Jennifer Gaddis. “These worker-centered research projects will examine the common challenges schools and school food workers face, recommend solutions for strengthening the school food workforce and, in turn, improve and protect children’s health while fostering more resilient community-based food systems.”

    The funded research projects are:

    • Eliciting Perspectives of the U.S. School Food Workforce Using a Worker-Centered, Mixed Methods Approach (Hannah Lane, Duke University) – $249,999
      Researchers will collaborate with the School Nutrition Association to field a national survey of U.S. school food workers to evaluate associations between working conditions, burnout, and perceived capacity for best practices. They will then conduct focus groups to explore strategies for improving working conditions, job satisfaction, and the quality of K-12 school meals.

    • Exploring Structural Factors Associated With Turnover Among the School Food Service Workforce (Bonnie Solomon, Child Trends) – $150,870
      Researchers will collaborate with the School Nutrition Association to field a national survey of U.S. school food directors to examine the extent of turnover among school food workers and the structural factors influencing it, as well as promising strategies school food authorities are using to reduce turnover.

    • Labor Market Well-Being of School Food Service Workers and the Return on Investment of their Workforce(Eunice Han, University of Utah) – $150,870
      Researchers will generate a comprehensive assessment of the K-12 school food labor market using nationally representative data combined with school district financial information, as well as students’ educational outcomes, to conduct nationwide, state-, district-, and individual-level analyses of the school food workforce.

    • Fair Employment and Economic Dignity (FEED): A Study of School Food Labor Practices in Los Angeles and New York City (Nevin Cohen, CUNY) – $248,261
      Researchers will use participatory methods to assess school food labor practices and different approaches to school meal programs (like scratch cooking and farm-to-school initiatives) in America’s two largest school districts – Los Angeles Unified School District and New York City Department of Education – which together employ 10,900 food service workers serving 2.23 million students.

    Learn more about these projects here.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Chef Ann Foundation Announces 2025 Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship Cohort

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    Nationwide cohort seeks to advance healthy, sustainable, and equitable school food reform.


    SACRAMENTO, Calif., February 4, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Chef Ann Foundation announced today that it has selected 27 school food leaders to participate in the 2025 Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship. The Fellowship empowers school food professionals to lead healthier and more environmentally sustainable school food programs rooted in scratch cooking and champion equitable school food reform.

    This year’s cohort includes school food professionals from 11 states, all operating under the National School Lunch Program. Representing diverse experiences and backgrounds, the Fellows share a passion for moving school food programs away from serving ultra-processed meals to serving more scratch-made meals. Over a 13-month period, Fellows cultivate their leadership skills; deepen their school food knowledge; and become experts on and advocates for healthy school food policy.

    “About halfway through, I realized that the experience and knowledge I gained from this Fellowship would have taken me 6-8 years to acquire working in school food,” says 2023 Fellowship graduate Nick Dramis, supervisor of culinary operations at Marysville Joint Unified School District in California.

    Fellows will complete a capstone project that addresses challenges in their own districts. Past capstone projects have increased local food procurement, introduced culturally relevant menu items, and enhanced employee training opportunities.

    “Our goal is for Fellows to develop the operational knowledge and confidence needed to implement transformative changes in their districts,” says Chef Ann Foundation’s Chief Program Officer Laura Smith. “By understanding how school food integrates into the larger food system, Fellows can drive change that has a ripple effect far beyond their local communities.”

    The 2025 Fellowship cohort includes:

    Arizona: Vanessa Bonfim (Avondale Elementary SD 44)

    California: Albert Tse (San Francisco USD), Amber Green (Marysville Joint USD), Christina Lane (Washington USD), Dwayne Dionne (Alhambra USD), Gianmario Oddli (Morgan Hill USD), Jamie Anderson (Banta USD), Jeane Pacheco (Lodi Unified SD), Kamilah Williams (Menifee USD), Maly Pra (Dublin USD – rejoining from the 2023 cohort),Michelle Diaz (Gridley USD), Nicholas Svoboda (Galt Joint Union Elementary SD), Patience Boulais (Ocean View SD), Sepon Istepanyan (Live Oak USD)

    Iowa: Sarah Veare-Whitehead (Eastern Allamakee Community Schools)

    Massachusetts: Alexis Assad (Boston Public SD), Robert Shaheen (Worcester Public Schools)

    Maryland: Jennifer Konish (DC Public Schools,)

    Minnesota: Claire Nielsen (Wayzata Public Schools), Courtney Chapman (Minneapolis Public Schools), Kevin Trierweiler (Long Prarie-Grey Eagle Schools)

    New Mexico: Jesus Perez (Magdalena Municipal Schools), Marie Johnson (Farmington Municipal SD 5)

    Oregon: Graham Schreiber (Portland Public Schools)

    Texas: Maggie Mae Kennedy (Spring Branch ISD)

    Washington: Laurie Ozanich (Selah SD 119)

    Wisconsin: Daisha Rand (Holmen SD), Dana Hoffman (Monona Grove SD), Joshua Perkins (Madison Metropolitan SD – rejoining from the 2024 cohort)

    Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of founding partner Whole Kids, a project of Whole Foods Market Foundation; the Waverley Street Foundation; and the State of California, with additional support from the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership.

    Contact Information

    Jessica Christopher
    Public Relations Supervisor
    jessica.christopher@curatorpr.com
    (610) 945-8615

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Chef Ann Foundation Awards 29 Grants to 15 School Districts Across U.S. to Transition to Bulk Milk

    Chef Ann Foundation Awards 29 Grants to 15 School Districts Across U.S. to Transition to Bulk Milk

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    Serving milk in bulk instead of single-serve containers eliminates a top source of school food waste


    BOULDER, Colo., September 6, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Chef Ann Foundation announced today that it awarded 29 grants to 15 K–12 school districts across the U.S. as part of its Bulk Milk program’s second consecutive year. Grantees will receive the necessary equipment, materials, and training resources to implement a bulk milk serving system. 

    Bulk Milk grants have been awarded to the following districts: Petersburg School District, AK; Willows Unified School District, CA; Ocean View School District, CA; San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, CA; Shady Creek Outdoor School, CA; Santa Clara Unified School District, CA; Weld County School District, CO; Colorado Charter School Institute, CO; Cannon Falls Independent School District, MN;  Minneapolis Public School District, MN; Explore Academy Charter School, NM; Ithaca School District, NY; Groton Central School District, NY; Franklin Special School District, TN; Suffolk Public School District, VA.

    USDA guidelines for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs require schools to offer milk with every lunch or breakfast they serve. Because most schools serve milk in either a single-use carton or plastic bottle, milk is one of the most significant sources of food and packaging waste at schools nationwide.

    With a bulk dispenser, students can pour themselves precisely the amount of milk they want. This cuts down on a major source of waste — an estimated 45 million gallons of liquid milk are discarded annually in schools. That wasted milk represents all the resources that went into producing it. By using a bulk milk dispenser, schools can save approximately 30 pounds of carbon dioxide per student — the equivalent of taking 145,000 gas-powered cars off the road.

    Early adopters of bulk milk dispensers have seen impressive results in reducing packaging waste, too. “We had more than 360,000 fewer cartons go into the landfill last year,” said Beth Brewster, Supervisor of Food Services at Caroline County School in Maryland. “There has been less [liquid milk] waste as well since the students only take the amount they want and actually drink it, ” she added. 

    However, the benefits of bulk milk go beyond reducing waste. It’s also more cost-effective for schools. Purchasing milk in bulk is, over time, less expensive than individual cartons or bottles. There are also savings on packaging and disposal costs. Additionally, schools can take those savings and invest in higher-quality milk, like organic milk. 

    “We want schools to see bulk milk as an opportunity, not just a waste reduction measure,” said Laura Smith, Executive Director of Programs at the Chef Ann Foundation. “It’s a chance to serve fresher, more sustainable milk while saving money. That’s a win-win-win for students, schools, and the planet.”

    Chef Ann Foundation’s Bulk Milk Equipment granting program is made possible this year through the generous support of Elevance Health Foundation and the Posner Foundation.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Elevate Your School District’s Scratch Cooking: Apply Now to Chef Ann Foundation’s Get Schools Cooking Program

    Elevate Your School District’s Scratch Cooking: Apply Now to Chef Ann Foundation’s Get Schools Cooking Program

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    Initiative Helps K–12 Schools Transition From Serving Students Heat-and-Serve Meals to Fresher, Healthier Scratch-Cooked Meals


    BOULDER, Colo., August 1, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    School districts interested in transitioning their meal programs from a heat-and-serve to a scratch-cooking operational model can now apply to participate in Get Schools Cooking. The program is administered by the Chef Ann Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting scratch cooking in schools. The deadline for districts to apply is Sept. 30, 2024. 

    Today, most school meal programs rely on serving students convenient yet often highly processed and less healthy heat-and-serve meals. When schools make changes that allow them to prepare meals from scratch using fresh, whole ingredients, they can serve students healthier, more flavorful meals that help kids focus better in class and cultivate positive eating habits for life. Scratch cooking has other benefits too: it allows schools to purchase raw ingredients from local farms; reduce food and packaging waste; and provide staff with opportunities to gain new skills.

    However, there are many obstacles that can make it challenging for schools to cook from scratch. This might include outdated facilities, a lack of cooking equipment, food service staff possessing limited culinary skills, funding constraints, and more. The Get Schools Cooking program assesses school districts’ meal programs — including its menu, finances, facilities, staff, and marketing efforts — and identifies opportunities to move toward scratch cooking. 

    “Since Get Schools Cooking launched in 2016, the program has helped 27 districts in 21 states collectively serve more scratch-cooked school meals to an estimated 180,000 students,” said Chef Ann Foundation Executive Director of Operations Lori Nelson. “These districts are well poised to continue increasing the amount of scratch cooking they do long after their Get Schools Cooking cohort concludes.”

    The Chef Ann Foundation’s school food experts work closely with Get Schools Cooking participants over three years. After an initial meal program assessment, participating districts receive strategic planning guidance and technical assistance from Chef Ann Foundation staff who have deep, first-hand experience operating scratch cooking school meal programs. Districts are also given the opportunity to apply for a one-time systems assistance grant, valued at up to $35,000, designed to support their school food goals.

    “The partnership with the Chef Ann Foundation supporting a fresh, locally focused school nutrition program has been critical in influencing the work we do with scratch cooking,” said Jacob Gallogly, a current Get Schools Cooking participant and food service manager for the West River Education District in Townshend, Vermont. “With all of the tools to standardize recipe development for scratch, we can ensure that the same nutritious meal is consistently produced across the district every day.”

    School districts can learn more about Get Schools Cooking and apply here.

    Get Schools Cooking is open to school districts across the country thanks to generous funding support from Whole Kids, The Rachael Ray Foundation, Waverley Street Foundation, and other donors.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Chef Ann Foundation Announces Recipients of Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools Grants

    Chef Ann Foundation Announces Recipients of Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools Grants

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    BOULDER, Colo., May 16, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Chef Ann Foundation announced today it has awarded grants totaling $4.8 million to eight groups of local partners through its Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) program, which was launched in October 2023. 

    Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, PLANTS aims to strengthen partnerships among community-based school food system stakeholders working to build resilient and equitable K–12 school food supply chains. PLANTS also seeks to expand scratch cooking, which enables schools to incorporate more local foods and build healthier, more culturally inclusive meal programs.

    “We received nearly 100 applications from a combined total of 360 organizations representing 123 schools and 38 states and U.S. territories,” Chef Ann Foundation Executive Director of Programs Laura Smith said. “It’s clear that many school districts across the country and their food system partners are eager to collaborate to improve the quality of the food they serve in ways that support their local communities.”

    Grant recipient project partnerships:

    • Anchorage School District, Rural Alaska Community Action Program, The Alaska Food Company, Copper River Seafood (Alaska) – $595,423
       
    • The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, The South Portland Public School District Food Service Department, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (Maine) – $599,999 
       
    • Detroit Public Schools Community District Office of School Nutrition, Keep Growing Detroit, Eastern Market Partnership, The Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network (Michigan) – $600,000
       
    • New Roots Community Farm, Fayette County Schools, Sprouting Farms, West Virginia University’s Center for Resilient Communities (West Virginia) – $598,136
       
    • Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, Montague Area Public Schools, Food Agriculture Research and Manufacturing Accelerator, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities (Michigan) – $597,683
       
    • North Eastern Washington Educational Service District 101, LINC Foods, Mission West Community Development Partners, Valley School District, CasaCano Farms (Washington) – $598,538
       
    • CommonWealth Kitchen, MA Farm to School, Boston Public School, Portland Public Schools (New England) – $600,000
       
    • Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Council Bluffs Community School District, Iowa St. University Extension and Outreach, Farm Table Delivery (Iowa) – $599,652

    In addition to the funds awarded, grantees will receive three years of in-depth technical assistance as well as tools, training, and resources from the Chef Ann Foundation, Kitchen Sync Strategies Collaborative, and National Farm to School Network, and project evaluation support from Center for Nutrition Health and Impact.

    “Each project that has received an award represents an incredible array of learning opportunities, not only for the grant recipients but for local food systems everywhere,” said Sunny Baker, Senior Director of Program and Policy Farm to School Network. “What we learn from the PLANTS program will help schools and their communities enact lasting, systemic change that supports the health of kids and the health of our planet.” 

    Learn more about the Chef Ann Foundation’s PLANTS program and grant recipients here.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Applications Now Open for Fall 2024 California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship

    Applications Now Open for Fall 2024 California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship

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    Paid seven-week program offers entry point to a career in healthy, scratch-cooked school food


    SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 6, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    California residents interested in exploring a career in scratch-cooked K–12 school food can now apply to become a Pre-Apprentice through California Healthy School Food Pathway. The program is administered by the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting scratch cooking in schools. 

    Pre-Apprentices are hosted by school districts across California. Over seven weeks, Pre-Apprentices receive paid on-the-job training, complete online courses, and network with other school food professionals. Almost 200 Californians and approximately 50 school districts are currently participating in the program, which is the largest cohort since it launched in 2022. 

    “School food can be an incredibly fulfilling culinary career, particularly when it’s rooted in scratch cooking,” said Chef Ann Foundation Senior Director of California Workforce Programs Emily Gallivan. “As in other culinary careers, scratch cooking in schools involves a lot of skill and creativity. Cooking for kids is special because you’re not only supporting their health and learning, you’re influencing their relationship with food and cultivating their eating habits for life.” 

    Healthy School Food Pathway was designed to support districts’ school food staffing needs as well as student health. Since the start of the pandemic, schools nationwide have reported school food staff shortages to be a persistent challenge. 

    A 2024 study conducted by the California School Nutrition Association and the Chef Ann Foundation revealed the rate of school food job vacancies in California is three times higher than the national job vacancy rate for public school teachers — a sector that lost 9% of its workforce since the pandemic began. California’s universal free school meals program has also increased demand for workers.

    “California was the first state to enact universal school meals, which was a monumental victory for children’s health,” said Chef Ann Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mara Fleishman. “We know that universal meals significantly increases the number of students participating in school food programs. Without enough employees to keep up with higher demand, schools are often forced to rely on serving kids pre-packaged and processed foods instead of fresh, healthier meals prepared from scratch.” 

    Healthy School Food Pathway offers one solution to pervasive underemployment in the sector. Pre-Apprenticeship graduates can participate in a more comprehensive Apprenticeship, which is nine months long and also paid. The Pre-Apprenticeship is registered with the California Department of Apprenticeship Standards, while the Apprenticeship is registered with both California and the U.S. Department of Labor.

    Teresa Vigil, a Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship graduate, offers this advice to anyone considering participating: “Do it! You will never regret learning … and helping serve others. You will learn about things that make you more confident in your current position and even think of going into higher positions to reach [your] dreams.”

    Apply by August 26th.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Chef Ann Foundation Begins Accepting Applications for California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship

    Chef Ann Foundation Begins Accepting Applications for California Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship

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    BOULDER, Colo., November 13, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    California residents interested in exploring a community-oriented career in K-12 school food can apply now to Chef Ann Foundation’s (CAF) Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship program. This paid, work-based learning experience prepares individuals for job opportunities in school food programs focused on serving students healthy and delicious meals. 

    The Pre-Apprenticeship spans seven weeks and includes 84 hours of work experience at a participating school district in California; self-paced online courses; and live virtual learning sessions. Pre-Apprentices are mentored by experienced school food professionals who are passionate about children’s health and creating positive change in their community.

    “There have been so many people I’ve met during my career working in the school food space who say they wish they knew about it as a career path sooner,” CAF Senior Director of California Workforce Programs Emily Gallivan said. “The Pre-Apprenticeship program was designed to really provide an opportunity for individuals to get first-hand experience in school food, while at the same time lift up those already working in the field.” 

    The Pre-Apprenticeship is open to all California residents, including current school food service employees seeking a professional development opportunity. Applicants do not need prior food service experience to apply. 

    Individuals who complete the Pre-Apprenticeship can continue their training in healthy K-12 school food by participating in CAF’s comprehensive Apprenticeship program, which takes approximately 9 months to complete and is also paid. 

    The Pre-Apprenticeship Fall 2023 application period opens November 13, 2023 and closes February 12, 2024. Interested individuals can learn more about the program and apply here. A list of California school districts participating in the Pre-Apprenticeship program can be found here.

    CAF will also be hosting an informational webinar on November 16, 2023 at 3 p.m. ET to give potential applicants the opportunity to hear from former and current program participants. 

    Supporting Student Health

    Gaby Flores, a school food worker with Santa Clara Unified School District, was the first person to complete both the Healthy School Food Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship programs, which were launched in 2022. One of Flores’ most notable responsibilities was overseeing the school kitchen at Scott Lane Elementary, which served over 350 students every school day. 

    “One of the main things that inspired me to join the program was to contribute to changing the food menu offered by the schools,” Flores said. “The possibility to help students enjoy better quality and healthier meals is fundamental to reaching their potential.” 

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Chef Ann Foundation Awards 43 Grants to 18 School Districts Across U.S. to Transition to Bulk Milk

    Chef Ann Foundation Awards 43 Grants to 18 School Districts Across U.S. to Transition to Bulk Milk

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    Serving Milk in Bulk Instead of Single-Serve Containers Eliminates a Top Source of School Food Waste


    BOULDER, Colo., November 10, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) announced today that it has awarded 43 grants to 18 K–12 school districts across the U.S. as part of its Bulk Milk program. Grantees will receive the equipment, materials, and training resources needed to implement a bulk milk serving system. 

    Milk is one of the biggest sources of food waste at schools across the country. USDA guidelines for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs require schools to offer milk with every lunch or breakfast served. Most schools serve milk in either a single-use carton or plastic bottle. 

    “With more than 31 million lunches and 13 million breakfasts served every day, year after year, milk packaging waste is staggering,” CAF CEO Mara Fleishman said. “Food waste also comes from the milk students don’t drink. With bulk milk systems, students can pour themselves what they want.”

    Approximately 45 million gallons of milk is wasted at schools each year. Wasted milk means the environmental and financial resources that went into producing, transporting, cooling, and storing the milk are wasted, too. With a bulk milk system, schools could save 30 pounds of carbon dioxide per student — the equivalent of taking 145,000 gas-powered vehicles off the road each year.

    While eliminating a top source of school food waste is a primary goal of CAF’s Bulk Milk program, there are other benefits. Purchasing milk in bulk costs less than purchasing milk in individual containers. Bulk milk also stays at a constant cold temperature, increasing shelf life. Less packaging also means less waste disposal costs. 

    “Switching to bulk milk saves schools money,” Fleishman said. “We’re encouraging schools to put these savings toward switching to serving organic milk that, if possible, is produced locally. These changes help protect students’ health and the environment from exposure to agricultural chemicals.”

    Bulk Milk grants have been awarded to the following districts: St. Michael Indian School, AZ; Pajaro Valley Unified School District, CA; Los Gatos Union School District, CA; Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, CA; Durango School District, CO; Greeley-Evans School District 6, CO; Hanover School District No. 28, CO; Lake County School District R-1, CO; Caroline County Public Schools, MD; Jackson Public Schools, MI; Ithaca City School District, NY; Dryden Central School District, NY; Ephrata Area School District, PA; Trenton Special School District, TN; Franklin Special School District, TN; Austin Independent School District, TX; Windham Central Supervisory Union, VT; Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools, WI.

    Early adopters of bulk milk dispensers have seen impressive results. Canby School District in Oregon eliminated approximately 50% of its school lunch waste volume. Meanwhile, Bluestone Elementary in Virginia saw a 91% reduction in milk packaging waste volume when it moved to using a bulk milk dispenser.

    Foundational funding for Chef Ann Foundation’s Bulk Milk program is provided by the Posner Foundation and Life Time Foundation.

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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  • Announcing New Assessment Technology for All K-12 Food Programs

    Announcing New Assessment Technology for All K-12 Food Programs

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    Press Release
    –

    Jun 2, 2022


    BOULDER, Colo., June 2, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Just in time for summer meal planning for School Year 22/23, Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) has launched the Scratch Cooking Assessment & Learning Evaluation (SCALE) tool to increase scratch cooking and improve nutrition in school meal programs. Prior to COVID-19, 31 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program daily, making the quality and nutrition of school meals a top priority. As school districts grapple with supply chain and labor issues, they are seeking out ways to improve efficiencies while still providing nutritious, appealing meals for students.

    For over 20 years, Chef Ann Cooper has worked closely with school districts through on-site assessments, trainings, and operational assistance. After starting her career as a white tablecloth chef, Chef Ann realized the massive impact and potential of healthy school food, and started advocating for school food programs across the country. Working in partnership with Anneliese Tanner, CAF Director of Research & Assessment, and school food expert Chef Beth Collins, CAF has spent the last two years building technology that offers the first comprehensive self-assessment focused on improving nutrition, enhancing school meal programs, and increasing scratch cooking. In-depth reports were previously only available to districts through an on-site assessment, and are now widely available for all districts through this innovative platform.

    Many school districts want to improve their meal programs, but do not have the bandwidth or tools to assess their current operations or determine where to start. SCALE is a digital platform that supports school districts with free customized assessments, resources, and recommendations. It is available now at no cost to schools nationwide and is hosted on Chef Ann Foundation’s The Lunch Box website. The tool focuses on key areas: Food, Scratch Cooking, Finances, Facilities, Human Resources, and Marketing.

    Districts from across the country are excited to use SCALE to enhance and improve their operations. Erin Primer, Food Service Director at San Luis Coastal Unified School District stated, “SCALE allows food service directors to have tangible, data-driven strategies to enhance our programs, and to articulate our needs to district counterparts who want to support us in the healthy food effort.”

    SCALE can help school districts develop strategic plans, guide program development, or garner support for improvements in school nutrition programs. According to Anneliese Tanner, Chef Ann Foundation’s Senior Director of Research & Assessment, SCALE has the opportunity to have a profound impact on school food programs across the nation. “Helping districts understand their numbers, efficiencies, procurement options, and system change ideas is my passion. I wish I had something like SCALE when I was in the districts, it would have been a game changer,” stated Tanner. SCALE was developed with support from Whole Kids Foundation and The Life Time Foundation.

    For more information about the Chef Ann Foundation, visit: https://www.chefannfoundation.org and to access SCALE, visit https://www.thelunchbox.org/scale.

    About the Chef Ann Foundation
    The Chef Ann Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to ensure that school food professionals have the resources, funding and support they need to provide fresh, healthy, delicious, scratch cooked meals that support the health of children and our planet. To date, the organization has reached more than 13,500 schools and 3.3 million kids with healthy school programming. Learn more at chefannfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Contact:
    Danielle Chandler
    Chef Ann Foundation, Marketing Manager
    danielle.c@chefannfoundation.org
    410-812-2948

    Source: Chef Ann Foundation

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