Just because I haven’t posted about our efforts at local school lunch reform lately doesn’t mean that we haven’t been busy. In fact, things are hopping! I recently joined Project Lunch, a new project sponsored by an incredible organization called Teens Turning Green. How could I resist joining when the invitation started like this…
My name is Carly Wertheim and I am a 2009 Redwood High School graduate. For the last four years I have been involved in the non profit organization Teens Turning Green. We work to educate our peers about environmentally and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities. We seek to promote global sustainability by identifying and eliminating toxic exposures that permeate our lives, often unknowingly, yet threaten public and environmental health.
In follow up to Michelle Obama’s recent White House gathering of 1,000 chefs and her call to action that each chef mentor another school to develop a healthy lunch program, Teens Turning Green has an idea.
TTG is launching Project Lunch with the goal of ensuring that every single child in every single school has the opportunity to eat healthy food at lunch, and to understand the vital connection of health food to a healthy mind, body, and earth.
We plan to do this by bringing together many members of our community who are out there doing amazing work; to share resources, best practices and mentor schools in our community and beyond. As a magnificent and strong community of change makers, this is a vital focus for all of us and for our future generations.
Inspiring? Absolutely. Especially with my background as a high school teacher and history of getting my students engaged in REAL issues. I am so impressed – not only with the teens that are involved in this program, but also by the response from our community. We have been joined by some amazing energy and influence – Miguel, the food service director for the Novato Unified School District; Scott, the manager of the gleaning program through Marin Organics; Leah with the Marin Agricultural Institute; Jason, the chef at Marin Country Day School; Heidi, the owner of the infamous Insalata’s restaurant in San Anselmo; Sunita, food service manager at Walker Creek Ranch; Al, the co-owner of Good Earth…along with middle school and high school students, their parents and many others…The enthusiasm, alone, at each meeting is fuel for change.
Project Lunch Stakeholders
Interested in joining our efforts? Do you have ideas for how to develop a green, healthy and tasty lunch program in schools? Let me know in the comments section below. In the meantime, save these dates:
November 12:
Students, faculty, administration, school chefs, purveyors and business leaders will come together for dialogue and discussion. TTG campaign members will moderate panels with esteemed thought leaders in the healthy school lunch space. Following the panels will by a series of hands-on workshops. The evening will conclude with a communal dinner prepared with specific criteria by local companies working with students. The meal will demonstrate healthy lunch offerings using locally-grown, sourced and organic provisions as well as within a budget range.
November 13:
A day-long event hosted at the recently opened Whole Foods Market Novato in Marin County. The “Lunch Line” will be an inspiring, educational and fun event where celebrity and school chefs, thought leaders, farmers, business leaders, community leaders, and sustainable food purveyors will engage in dialogue, tastings, an educational forum, and Eco Top Chef Cook Off.
