7.20.2011 After two successful convenings sponsored by The California Endowment, CFPA has launched the Real Eats for Academics and Life – REAL School Food Initiative in partnership with school food service directors, advocates, researchers, and other stakeholders from across the state.
Over the past two years, CFPA has discovered – and begun to provide various forms of support to – school districts scattered throughout the state that have taken preparation and cooking of their students’ meals back into the district, abandoning reliance upon outside manufacturers that produce fully processed, heat and serve meals.
The REAL School Food Initiative was started to bring together a diverse group of partners to work on specific strategies and policy opportunities that advance efforts to ease school districts’ preparation of simple meals that are made from whole or minimally processed ingredients, support the new federal nutritional requirements, and appeal to students and parents.
During the initial six months of the Initiative, partners involved in the REAL School Food Initiative participated in at least one of the workgroups, which worked to uncover potential policy changes and resources in the following four areas:
- Creative Sourcing: how to use regional procurement and commodities for “smart” sourcing
- Capacity Needs: how facilities, equipment, and training needs for school food service are being addressed
- Food Service Oversight: overcoming challenges with reviews, audits, regulations, and food safety inspections
- Working Together: how food service directors are working to share resources and best practices, and what’s being done to elevate the profile of school food and recognize its support of student achievement.
Are you a School Food Service Director, a statewide advocate, or other stakeholder working to support the new federal nutritional requirements and improve school meals by bringing the preparation of school meals back to the district? Contact Markell Lewis (markell@cfpa.net) with questions or to learn more!
