Local, Sustainable, and Student-Inspired

Students and Staff Team Up for a Greener Campus

Caring for the environment is important to our students—not just on Earth Day, but every day. In surveys and focus groups, students have asked for less waste during meals. Our Child Nutrition team listened and is piloting eco-friendly changes in response.

Meals now come in cardboard trays with compostable utensils, and condiments are served from bulk dispensers instead of single-use packets. Castlemont students Greta and Ashley (pictured above) say they prefer the new dispensers. To reduce food waste, students also can place uneaten fruit and unopened milk in sharing bins for others to enjoy. Recycling bins are placed next to trash cans to support sorting.

Nearly all produce comes from local farmers through Food for Thought and the Department of Justice’s commodities program. Food for Thought also brings Farmers Markets to our schools, where students learn about food sources and practice math skills using "School Bucks" as currency to “buy” fresh produce.

As part of our commitment to helping students understand food sourcing and carbon footprints, we leverage our school gardens to extend the learning outdoors, with teachers using them for lessons in science, math, art, and more.  In many instances, students then make a yummy soup to taste the vegetables they’ve grown. (Due to USDA restrictions, we are not allowed to serve our garden grown foods in our food services offerings.)

In addition to the commitment to making more of our meals in our kitchen (scratch cooking), our Child Nutrition staff will continue exploring sustainable practices—working to build a healthier future for our students and our planet.