Growing the next generation of food citizens.

The Chef Ann Foundation ensures that school food professionals have the resources, funding, and support they need to provide fresh, healthy, delicious, cooked-from-scratch meals that support the health of children and the planet.

2024 impact:

• 419K students from 396 districts and 370 schools have benefitted from Get Schools Cooking and Healthy School Food Pathway since 2016
• 145K+ nutrition professionals used The LunchBox in 2024 to access recipes, support meal planning, and learn new ideas to implement in their classroom
• 800 new schools and districts used The LunchBox for the first time.

“Great tips and recommendations here to help implement change in our public schools. I have been searching for ways to help implement change for increasing plant-based foods in school lunches. This is a little slice of gold I have found on your site. Thank you very much.” —School Nurse in New Jersey

FoodCorps places AmeriCorps members in schools nationwide to transform how children experience food through hands-on education, nourishing meals, and culturally-rooted food experiences. Building on school programming, FoodCorps develops leaders, grows networks, and advocates for policy change in service of every child’s health and well-being.

2024 impact:

• 528K students engaged across 220 schools in 18 states and D.C.
• Students eat up to 3x more fruits and vegetables after participating in FoodCorps programming
• 70% of states with Foodcorps programming made progress toward policies that support expanded access to nourishing school meals and/or food education

“I never knew cooking could be so fun! Now I can help make dinner at home and choose healthier foods.” —Foodcorps participant, Alanson School District (Michigan)

The mission of Grow Dat Youth Farm is to nurture a diverse group of young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food. Since 2010, Grow Dat has graduated over 600 youth participants with hands-on work experience, harvested about 383,325 pounds of food for the New Orleans community, and donated about 76,665 pounds of that food to other food-insecure residents.

2024 impact:

• 50 youth engaged in reimagining local food systems through collaborative farming
• 100% of participants gained skills to create positive community change
• 95% learned new cooking techniques and sustainable agriculture principles

“Grow Dat has taught me that I am always growing as a person and nothing is set in stone. I feel way more sure of myself than I did before, and especially when it involves food systems or farming in general. I now realize that my words and thoughts have value and people will actually listen to me if I talk.” —Reid, Grow Dat Participant, 2021-2024

Food Research and Action Center leads a nationwide movement to ensure all students have access to free school meals. By convening local, state, and national partners, they help states adopt policies that provide free, healthy school meals for all children. 

2024 impact:

• > 3M children received free breakfast and > 6M children received free lunch on an average day across the eight states with Healthy School Meals for All policies during the ‘23-24 school year 
• 11 additional states and D.C. have active coalitions working towards healthy school meals for all 

“Food, What?!” is a youth empowerment and food justice organization. At FoodWhat, youth engage in relationships with land, food, and each other in ways that are grounded in love and rooted in justice. The organization provides meaningful space where youth from the Santa Cruz, CA, region define and cultivate their empowerment, liberation, and well-being.

2024 impact:

• In 2024, more than 90 youth participated in FoodWhat?!’s programming
• 95% of youth reported that they gained useful job skills
• 86% of participants reported that they were eating healthier as a result of the program

The Oregon Farm to School Network unites farmers, educators, and nutrition professionals to transform school food systems, making local food more accessible in schools statewide. Their collaborative approach bridges the gap between Oregon’s agricultural community and school nutrition programs.

2024 impact:

• Secured $10.9M in state funding for Farm to School programs, exceeded funding goal by $700K
• Supported the development of a robust and diverse School Meals for All Coalition, which successfully advocated for the adoption of free school meals in 95% of Oregon schools