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News

Stories, innovations, and news about the California Food for California Kids initiative.

News

California’s Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) program provides school districts with noncompetitive funds to upgrade deteriorating school kitchens, purchase equipment, and train staff. KIT funding is essential to the successful implementation of School Meals for All , increasing freshly-...
Top row from left: Erin Primer, Eric Span, Vince Caugin, Jessie Wesch, Diana Flores. Bottom row from left: Pilar Gray, Kristin Hilleman, Fred Espinosa, Karen Luna. As the new school year begins, school nutrition leaders share their thoughts with the Center for Ecoliteracy on California’s historic $...
As school districts move to make more shifts towards plant-forward recipes, the Center for Ecoliteracy has put out Success with Plant-Forward Meals , a new publication with ideas and resources for engaging students. Among other strategies, student voice and choice invites student feedback, ideas,...
Stephanie Bruce, director of nutrition services at Palm Springs Unified School District, and Erin Primer, director of food services for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, were featured in the New York Times article " What to Know About California’s Free School Lunch Program " on October...
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools with a high percentage of low-income families to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge while eliminating the traditional meal application process. Currently, the Seamless Summer Waiver allows all schools to serve free meals...
California has made history becoming the first state in the nation to transform school food by permanently providing free school meals to all K–12 public school students. California State Senator and Center for Ecoliteracy Board Member Nancy Skinner, who introduced this proposal, said, “Free School...
Governor Newsom’s May Revise of the 2021 California state budget took an important first step by providing funding to encourage schools to participate in federal universal school meal provisions. However, up to 50% of California’s public schools with 2.9 million students still may not qualify to...
The Center for Ecoliteracy and the School Nutrition Association surveyed more than 140 school districts across California in the fall of 2020. Findings from these surveys show that budget deficits for school nutrition programs are worsening. This is what we found: Net losses: 84% of California...
The Center for Ecoliteracy conducted a survey with California public school districts to learn about school food budget needs at the end of 2020 and their projections for the end of the 2020–21 school year. Responses include food service directors from 28 public school districts in California that...
After six months of serving essential meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s School Nutrition Directors report skyrocketing budget deficits.
School food waivers must be extended to provide school meals to all students during the pandemic.
School districts need flexible funding to stay open and continue providing essential meals to students.
Creating Healthy and Sustainable School Communities The Center for Ecoliteracy hosted more than 120 people from school districts and allied organizations across the state of California on June 27 and 28 at the Oakland Museum of California. The program explored ideas and innovations for every aspect...
On May 21, public school districts across the Sacramento region kicked off this year's Million Meals Summer initiative on the west steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. Picnic at the Capitol was the biggest event in town, bustling with students excited to learn more about where their food comes from...
Why were fifth graders in Southern California encouraged to stand on their desks? Because they were testing whether strawberries, carefully packaged in shoeboxes and other recycled materials, would survive the strawberry drop test . Meanwhile, other students performed the squish test , placing...
On October 25, districts across California celebrated Collective Action Day by serving students freshly-prepared school meals featuring California-grown food. Collective Action Day welcomed nineteen new school districts into the California Thursdays® Network, which now totals 89 school districts in...
The Center for Ecoliteracy is pleased to release four new resources to help you prepare and promote California-grown fruits and vegetables. For school foodservice, there are step-by-step photos of culinary techniques with accompanying recipes and a guide for mastering food photography to market...
Collective Action Day is this Thursday, October 25. The Center for Ecoliteracy has developed tools and resources to help you and your team promote your event and receive the recognition you deserve. From sample social media posts to media reminders, we’ve got you covered. Everything you need is...
Collective Action Day is Thursday, October 25. We've got a full kit of resources to help you promote your event and the California Thursdays program to local media and your community. The kit includes: Talking Points. Share these talking points with local elected officials, school administrators,...
Collective Action Day is October 25, 2018. Here are five proven tips that will help make your day successful. 1. Host an event. Engage your community by hosting an event that celebrates the California Thursdays® program. Make it festive, and invite farmers, vendors, and food producers who can...
On September 5, the Center for Ecoliteracy welcomed 19 new school districts into the California Thursdays Network at the David Brower Center in Berkeley. Attendees, representing both new and veteran districts, came from the length and breadth of our state. With the addition of our newest members,...
Are you ready for your 2018 California Thursdays® Collective Action Day? On October 25, California Thursdays districts across the state will celebrate Collective Action Day. Participating districts will serve a California Thursdays meal, provide activities for students, connect with media, and...
More than half a million students were served a fresh and tasty lunch on California Thursdays "Collective Action Day 2017."
Our network offers up some fresh, healthy competition.
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District uses California's Proposition 39 funding both to teach and to model sustainable practices in Nutrition Services and throughout the campus.
Encinitas Unified School District's Farm Lab is both a certified organic farm and a living classroom.
What’s your favorite day of the week? For many students in California — it’s Thursday.