Submit Applications for Get Schools Cooking Grant (US)

Applications are now open for the Get Schools Cooking Grant to support school districts in the U.S. eager to transform their school lunch programs from processed foods to scratch-cooked meals.

Program Overview

Whole Kids Foundation has partnered with Chef Ann Foundation to assist districts in transitioning from highly processed meals to scratch cooking. The Get Schools Cooking program will guide selected districts through a multi-year transformative journey, including:

• In-person workshops for food service directors.
• On-site assessments, recommendations, and strategic planning.
• Peer-to-peer collaboration.
• Access to a Technical/Equipment Assistance Grant.

Serving children scratch-cooked meals allows districts to offer healthy and delicious breakfast and lunch, but overcoming financial, procurement, management, education, and staffing hurdles can be challenging. School districts often need guidance from food experts to navigate these challenges. According to a recent Pew study, directors whose school food programs prepared more foods from scratch and increased the use of salad bars reported higher student participation. The guidelines implemented through this program support healthier and more nutritious meals than processed foods.

Funding Information

The program has a value of nearly $250,000 per participating district (depending on district size).

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, school districts must:

• Be firmly committed to transitioning to a scratch-cooked and fresh whole foods approach in their meal programs.
• Demonstrate support for improvement from district leadership.
• Participate in the National School Lunch Program.
• Run a self-operated food service program.

For more information, visit Whole Kids Foundation.

Donor Name: Whole Kids Foundation
Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000
Publish Date: September 6, 2024
Deadline Date: September 30, 2024
Country: United States