Become a School Food Reform Leader: Apply for the 2025 Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship

BOULDER, Colo., August 14, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Experienced school food professionals committed to driving healthy, sustainable, and equitable school food reform can now apply to become a Fellow through the Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship. Administered by the Chef Ann Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting whole-ingredient, scratch-cooking in schools, the Fellowship offers mid- to upper-level school food professionals the opportunity to learn how to lead successful scratch-cooking school food programs. Previous cohorts have included school food leaders from diverse roles, including assistant directors, head chefs, area supervisors, and directors. 

“Our Fellowship is building a community of passionate school food leaders dedicated to making healthy, scratch-cooked meals the standard in districts nationwide," said Laura Smith, Executive Director of Programs at the Chef Ann Foundation.

Over 13 months, Fellows engage in interactive learning experiences while continuing their full-time work. The program includes virtual learning sessions, training at the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition, and visits to exemplary scratch-cook school food programs. Fellows also complete collaborative research projects, cultivating leadership skills and deepening knowledge of the broader U.S. food system and its impact on school food.

The program culminates with a self-led capstone project to increase scratch cooking in Fellows' home districts. Previous capstone projects have introduced students to regionally inspired scratch-cooked menu items, utilized state-of-the-art equipment for efficient meal preparation, and incorporated fresh, local ingredients into new breakfast and lunch entrees. 

Since 2023, the program has empowered Fellows from 17 states and U.S. territories. Graduates have already seen significant impacts in their districts associated with serving more high-quality, scratch-cooked items.

“The Fellowship has by far exceeded my expectations, and I feel very thankful to have been selected as a Fellow. I have met so many amazing individuals, participated in once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and have learned from the best in our industry," says Fellow Christina Lawson from Western Placer Unified School District in California. “I am so excited to use the skills and knowledge I have gained from the Fellowship to better serve our students delicious, nutritious, scratch-cooked meals." 

Applications for the 2025 Fellowship are open until Sept. 12, 2024. School food leaders eager to advance their careers and drive school food reform are encouraged to apply. 

The Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is open to school food professionals across the country thanks to the program's founding partners, Whole Kids (a program of the Whole Foods Market Foundation) and the State of California, as well as support from the Waverley Street Foundation. The Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is part of the California Workforce Development Board's High Road Training Partnerships, which is funded through the Department of Education.

Source: Chef Ann Foundation