Experienced school food professionals who are dedicated to advancing healthy, sustainable, and equitable school food reform can now apply to join the Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship. This program, administered by the Chef Ann Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting whole-ingredient, scratch-cooking in schools, offers mid- to upper-level school food professionals the opportunity to learn how to lead successful scratch-cooking school food programs. Past fellows have included school food leaders from various roles, such as 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, participants in the program take part in interactive learning experiences while maintaining their full-time jobs. The program consists of virtual learning sessions, training at the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition, and visits to outstanding scratch-cook school food programs. Participants also work on collaborative research projects to enhance their leadership skills and deepen their understanding of the broader U.S. food system and its influence on school food.
The program concludes with a self-directed capstone project aimed at promoting scratch cooking in the participants’ home districts. Past capstone projects have introduced students to locally inspired scratch-cooked menu items, used state-of-the-art equipment for efficient meal preparation, and incorporated fresh local ingredients into new breakfast and lunch options.
Since 2023, the program has supported participants from 17 states and U.S. territories. Graduates have already observed significant positive 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 now accepting applications until September 12, 2024. School food leaders who are eager to advance their careers and drive school food reform are encouraged to apply.