The s’COOL Food Initiative continued to educate Santa Barbara on the need for school food reform in its latest event, Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, on April 16. Featuring Kate Adamick, director of the initiative, and Chef Ann Cooper of Berkeley Unified School District, the night was filled with numerous facts, figures, and action plans that brought to light the serious need for change at the local and national levels.
Adamick recently completed a survey of Santa Barbara County schools in regard to lunchroom offerings, and will be presenting those results to the Orfalea Foundation later this summer. The two passionate and engaging hosts stressed the need to encourage cafeteria employees to take ownership of the food they provide daily to children.
To meet this challenge, Chef Cooper has invited the food services directors and two staff members from each local school district to a week-long training session where they will learn the fundamentals of cooking food for the miniature masses while still maintaining healthfulness, sanitation, and most of all taste! More information about the initiative is available at scoolfood.org.