CCSD59 Students Help Shape New School Lunch Menus
Students across CCSD59 are helping cook up some exciting changes to school meals. In collaboration with the district’s School Nutrition Department and its Food Service Management company, OrganicLife, students at Friendship, Grove, and Holmes Junior High Schools are working together to revamp school lunch menus.
The partnership began when a group of students from Holmes Junior High were in a Lead-4-Change WIN class. They had a service project to do and decided they wanted to work with the district to get more allergy-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan-vegetarian food options. Their inputs led to changes within the lunch menus in November.
To gather even more input, the initiative expanded to include students from Friendship and Grove. These students have shared additional insights and suggestions that will begin appearing on school lunch menus after the Winter Break, in January.
The changes won’t be limited to junior high schools – all 14 K-8 schools within the district will see updates to their lunch offerings.
“The overall goal is to ensure all students, regardless of grade, have access to nutritious and appealing meal options,” said Stacey Manwell, Food Service Specialist at CCSD59. “Student enrollment and diversity change each year, so it’s important to ensure menus reflect the evolving needs and preferences of all our students.”
By involving students directly in the menu planning process, CCSD59 ensures that student voices are heard. This approach helps district staff understand student likes and dislikes, while also keeping fan-favorite items on the table. So far, the partnership has led to the addition of new items such as a variety of fresh salads, and the return of the vegetarian grab bags – choices that have already been well received by students across the district.
“The initiative not only gives students an opportunity to help make mealtime more enjoyable, but also provides students with an opportunity to learn about the importance of healthy eating and the USDA guidelines that govern school meals,” said Erica Arlinsky, Vice President of OrganicLife. “All changes comply with nutritional standards while still allowing for creative menu ideas.”
Participating students are enthusiastic about the impact they’ve had. “My favorite part was definitely being a food critic,” said one student from Friendship. “I enjoyed talking to our food providers about the lunch and learning some facts about certain laws/rules that they follow within our lunch program,” added another student from Grove.
By revamping menus to include a wider variety of healthy, student-approved meals, CCSD59 is encouraging more students to participate in school meal programs. Access to nourishing food not only makes mealtime more enjoyable but also supports student learning and their overall well-being.
We look forward to seeing what other tasty additions show up across menus in the near future!
