Center for Ecoliteracy

California was first-in-the-nation with . Now we can ensure these meals are healthier and safer for our kids. California School Food Safety Act is first-in-the-nation legislation that would prohibit California public schools from serving foods containing six synthetic food dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3) that have been linked to developmental and behavioral harms to children.

We urge you to Support Mike McGuire Senator Anna Caballero Senator Brian Jones Senator Angelique Ashby Senator Josh Becker Senator Steven Bradford Senator Kelly Seyarto Senator Aisha Wahab

"eliminates any possibility of shaming in the cafeteria" and "positively impacts everyone in the classroom" says Bonnie Christensen, director of nutrition services at Berkeley Unified:

BUSD renews free meal program for TK-12 students For the 2024-25 school year, the Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, will continue to provide free meals to all TK-12 students under the National School Lunch Program and the

“If states are implementing universal meals, and they’re seeing increased participation, and that’s increasing their costs, that means that we’re feeding more kids, and that’s really what the program was established to do.”

The Center for Ecoliteracy is quoted in this piece on the rising costs of state-level universal meal programs:

Universal free school meal efforts face budget realities - Pluribus News Budget deficits reopened debates about whether states can afford to feed every public student breakfast and lunch.

Crystal Whitelaw, our Senior Program Manager, joined for this week! 🍓🥦

She participated in farm tours, listened to panel discussions, connect with California school nutrition directors, and even got to reunite with Betti Wiggins of !

Crystal is a former school nutrition director and now leads our initiative 🍊

Thank you for having us, !

How does support student success? Hear from Bethany, a student at Jefferson Union High School District, who helped advocate for this program.

Our advocacy helped to secure $1.85B in the for . This funding will:

🍎 Serve an estimated 885 million school meals to California’s TK–12 students during the upcoming school year, an increase of 60 million meals.

👩‍🍳 Provide a state reimbursement of nearly $1 per meal, supporting the procurement of high-quality food and sustaining school nutrition labor in California.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 Ensure free school meals for the 44% of food-insecure families in California who do not qualify for federal free or reduced-price meals

How has changed school nutrition programs in CA? Hear from Yaz Widatalla, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at New Haven Unified School District in Union City, who helped advocate for this program.

Our advocacy helped to secure $1.85B in the for . This funding will:

🍎 Serve an estimated 885 million school meals to California’s TK–12 students during the upcoming school year, an increase of 60 million meals.

👩‍🍳 Provide a state reimbursement of nearly $1 per meal, supporting the procurement of high-quality food and sustaining school nutrition labor in California.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 Ensure free school meals for the 44% of food-insecure families in California who do not qualify for federal free or reduced-price meals

What does really mean in CA? Hear from David, a student at Santa Ana Unified School District and State President of California Association of Student Councils, who helped advocate for this program.

Our advocacy helped to secure $1.85B in the for . This funding will:

🍎 Serve an estimated 885 million school meals to California’s TK–12 students during the upcoming school year, an increase of 60 million meals.

👩‍🍳 Provide a state reimbursement of nearly $1 per meal, supporting the procurement of high-quality food and sustaining school nutrition labor in California.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 Ensure free school meals for the 44% of food-insecure families in California who do not qualify for federal free or reduced-price meals

Thanks to Food Tank for including Transforming School Food Politics Around the World in "20 Food Systems Reads that Will Inspire You this Summer"

The Center for Ecoliteracy contributed a chapter on our approach to school food systems change. We share our successful advocacy efforts that helped secure California as the first state to offer free breakfast and lunch to all public school students — permanently.


Graphic via

20 Food Systems Reads that Will Inspire You this Summer – Food Tank Explore inspiring food systems summer reads for insights into sustainability, agriculture, and the future of global food systems.

Tomorrow: Join us on a National Farm to School Network webinar on youth advocacy for

Register now https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-6oqTsiE9KEBgT-YJw9X9M__hmnGKY_ #/registration

Next week! We'll be joining National Farm to School Network to present on youth advocacy for with California Assoc. of Student Councils

Register now https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-6oqTsiE9KEBgT-YJw9X9M__hmnGKY_ #/registration

A new study from the USDA found that food insufficiency among children was 1.5% higher in the 2022-23 school year in states that have not adopted .

More students are choosing to eat school meals in California thanks to our free breakfast and lunch program. The Center for Ecoliteracy successfully advocated for the state to fund the increase in student participation for the upcoming school year -- that's 885 million meals for our TK–12 students!

Food insufficiency among children lower in states that implemented universal free school meal programs A new study by the USDA’s Economic Research Service showed lower rates of food insufficiency among children located in states with

Copies are here! Transforming School Food Politics Around the World is now available from The MIT Press.

Our chapter is described in the introduction: “Anne Moertel, from the Center for Ecoliteracy, a California-based nonprofit organization that has been engaged in school food systems change for more than twenty-five years, tells the story of how California became the first state in the US to create a universal school meal program in 2021. Moertel articulates core strategies and lessons from this campaign that secured government-funding and policy commitments to provide every student with free, freshly prepared, California-grown school meals and food education opportunities.”

We are honored to share our story and provide a model for changemakers worldwide who are transforming school food.

Purchase a copy or read for FREE with MIT Press Direct Open Access at https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262548113/transforming-school-foodpolitics-around-the-world/

We are thrilled to share that Governor Newsom has signed AB 107, which secures $1.85 billion in the 2024–2025 to continue ! This funding will:

🍎 Serve an estimated 885 million school meals to California’s TK–12 students during the upcoming school year, an increase of 60 million meals.

👩‍🍳 Provide a state reimbursement of nearly $1 per meal, supporting the procurement of high-quality food and sustaining school nutrition labor in California.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 Ensure free school meals for the 44% of food-insecure families in California who do not qualify for federal free or reduced-price meals

We are grateful to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Speaker Robert Rivas Mike McGuire Scott WienerAssemblymember Jesse Gabriel State Senator Nancy SkinnerSenator Josh Newman Assemblymember Mia Bonta Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry California leads the way on school meals nationally thanks to leaders like you forging new pathways to fighting child hunger!

We also extend our gratitude to the 150+ organizations, especially the incredible school nutrition professionals, who signed on to support School Meals for All this year. You did it! Thank you!

Check out Civil Eats Summer 2024 Food and Farming Book Guide, featuring Transforming School Food Politics Around the World! 📚 "The book is a hopeful, informative read for anyone who seeks to change school food systems."

The Center for Ecoliteracy contributed a chapter on our approach to school food systems change. We share our successful advocacy efforts that helped secure California as the first state to offer free breakfast and lunch to all public school students — permanently. School food can and should be a part of the infrastructure of daily life, rooted in care for people and the environment. We are honored to share our story and provide a model for changemakers worldwide who are transforming school food.

Purchase a copy or read for FREE via The MIT Press.

Graphic via

https://civileats.com/2024/06/20/our-summer-2024-food-and-farming-book-guide/

In his State of the State address today, California Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted the many services California schools provide to our TK-12 students, including . Offering free school breakfast and lunch to every student is one of the many ways California is leading the nation!

California's State Budget secures full funding for ! 🍏 Yesterday, the California Legislature passed the 2024–2025 State Budget, awaiting Governor Newsom's signature by June 30. This tremendous win ensures all of California’s 5.9 million public school students will continue to access free breakfast and lunch each school day.

We are grateful to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the for their steadfast commitment to this cause. Their action reflects a profound dedication to the health, well-being, and futures of California’s children. Speaker Robert Rivas Mike McGuire Scott Wiener Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel State Senator Nancy Skinner Senator Josh Newman Assemblymember Mia Bonta Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

We also extend our gratitude to the 150+ organizations, especially the incredible school nutrition professionals, who signed on to support School Meals for All this year. You did it! Thank you!

https://thefern.org/2024/06/the-cafeteria-as-classroom/

The cafeteria as classroom | Food and Environment Reporting Network In January 2019, students at Lovin Elementary School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, took a hard look at how much food they were throwing away. It was Taco Day, and as lunch period wrapped up…

Check out this blog post from school nutrition professional Christina Lawson of Plateful by WPUSD "How Great School Recipes Go From Ideas To The Cafeteria Tray," on Powered by School Food Professionals

A member of since 2018, Christina's enthusiasm and ingenuity always inspires us!

https://www.schoolfoodpros.org/how-great-school-recipes-go-from-ideas-to-the-cafeteria-tray/

"Providing exceptional school meals for millions of US children won’t come without a collective struggle, and our analysis of school food politics around the world reminds us to raise the bar in what we’re fighting for."

Transforming School Food Politics Around the World editors Jennifer Gaddis and Sarah A. Robert share four lessons for U.S. school food in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/article/2024/may/31/free-healthy-school-lunches

The MIT Press

Organic cheese and free lunch for all: what the US can learn from other nations about better school meals | Jennifer Gaddis and Sarah A Robert Brazil, Finland and South Korea have figured out how to pay for nutritious meals for students. The US can, too

Free school meals have gone mainstream, says The New York Times “More than 21 million American children now attend schools that offer free meals to all.”

Not long ago, CA became the first state to adopt for all 5.9 million TK-12 students. We are grateful to California Governor Gavin Newsom and for their leadership on school nutrition!

Read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/headway/how-free-school-meals-went-mainstream.html

Transforming School Food Politics Around the World is now available! 📚 🙌 The MIT Press

This compilation of essays from editors Jennifer Gaddis and Sarah A. Robert explores how to successfully challenge and transform public school food programs to emphasize care, justice, and sustainability, with insights from eight countries across the Global North and South.

The Center for Ecoliteracy contributed a chapter on our approach to school food systems change. We share our successful advocacy efforts that helped secure California as the first state to offer free breakfast and lunch to all public school students — permanently.

School food can and should be a part of the infrastructure of daily life, rooted in care for people and the environment. We are honored to share our story and provide a model for changemakers worldwide who are transforming school food.

Purchase a copy or read for FREE with MIT Press Direct Open Access https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262548113/transforming-school-food-politics-around-the-world/

Wondering where students and families can use ? 🤔

☀️ Payment is accepted in-store & online where EBT cards are accepted

🍎🥦 If you use your card at a , ​​Market Match will match your federal nutrition assistance benefits & DOUBLE the amount you can spend on fresh produce! That means a shopper who spends $10 of benefits will receive an additional $10 to spend on produce. Find a market at ecologycenter.org/fmfinder California Association of Food Banks

How does climate change affect the foods we eat? How does our food affect climate change? And how can we develop healthy responses to meet the climate challenges our young people will face?

Engage students in learning about food and climate change with California’s Climate-Smart Farms, our latest free resource for educators. These activities engage middle school students in questioning and observing climate-related phenomena. Then, through case studies, students will discover California farmers across the state who are working with people, places, and food to nurture more resilient and sustainable ways of living.

Featuring

Visit ecoliteracy.org/climate-smart to download.

Photo courtesy

California will launch SUN Bucks ☀️💸 this summer, a new permanent food program that will provide $120 in food benefits for eligible school-age children during the summer months. Learn more about : who is eligible to receive them, where they can be used & other helpful resources from our trusted partners at California Association of Food Banks.

For more information & resources, visit cafoodbanks.org/sun-bucks

Congratulations to Eric Span! On May 10, Eric received a resolution from for his visionary leadership in school nutrition policy and programs that contribute to students’ health and wellbeing. Under Eric's leadership, Sweetwater Union High School District has developed school gardens where students grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and fresh eggs for school meals.

The Center for Ecoliteracy was honored to facilitate this visit for Senator Padilla to recognize Eric's 2023 California Food for California Kids leadership award and the team. Students and staff provided a tour of Chula Vista Middle School's kitchen and garden, which showcased how the district serves nearly 4 million free each year.

What was on the menu? School lunch! Tortilla de España con chorizo (featuring fresh eggs from Sweetwater's educational farm), ceviche, pozole rojo, and tres leches bread pudding.

Thank you to the Sweetwater team for hosting a fantastic event. The work you do each day to nourish students is extraordinary.

This week, we were honored to participate in a panel with Secretary Vilsack, California First Partner , and partners to discuss the impact California’s program is having on students and families. Students .magnet gave a tour of the school farm, served school meals from their new food truck, and .farms shared California-grown fruits and vegetables to enjoy.

The event showcased our progress in all students receiving fresh, local school meals and educational experiences connecting the classroom, cafeteria, and garden. More to come!

School food professionals are creative, dedicated, resourceful, and passionate people. On , we thank you for all that you do to provide students with nutritious school meals every day. You are our heroes!

This week! Register for our May 1 School Food Innovator Series, "Partner with Local Farmers"

Join the Center for Ecoliteracy and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to learn strategies for building relationships with local farmers, navigating bidding rules and regulations, and sourcing more California-grown fruits and vegetables for your students.

Thanks to our panelists:
🍓 Cassidy Boardman
🍊 Anna Nakamura Knight Old Grove Farms
🥬 Tammy White

https://www.californiafoodforcaliforniakids.org/upcoming-school-food-innovator-series

Passionate about providing California kids with the delicious, healthy food they need to be ready to learn? So are we.

The Center for Ecoliteracy is thrilled to support Powered by School Food Professionals, a first-of-its-kind public-education campaign that puts a spotlight on the skill, creativity, contributions, and commitment of school food professionals working to improve school meals for kids across the state.

Get involved and hear directly from the ➡️ SchoolFoodPros.org