Reporters and film makers speak with student chefs at the Capitol Hill briefing as part of the Cooking up Change Day of Action on March 2. Photos by Stacey Vaeth.
Last week, Healthy Schools Campaign organized a Cooking up Change Day of Action focused on bringing a healthy school lunch to Congress. We traveled to Washington, DC with five high school students from Chicago who presented the healthy, great-tasting school meal they created at a Capitol Hill briefing on the future of school food. Students spoke at the briefing alongside HSC founding executive director Rochelle Davis, Cooking up Change National Honorary Co-Chairs Karen Duncan (wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan) and Christie Vilsack (wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack), and Louise Esaian, logistics officer and head of school nutrition programs for Chicago Public Schools. Their award-winning lunch of jambalaya, cornbread and cucumber salad was served the same day in the House of Representatives Longworth cafeteria.
In the week leading up to the day of action, advoates around the country spoke up for school food reform, inviting their legislators to attend the briefing, urging them to try the student-designed lunch in the cafteria, and encouraging them to vote for a strong and well-funded reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.We offer many, many thanks to everyone who reached out to their legislators and everyone who told their friends about the campaign. We are so grateful to the individuals who made contributions to help with the cost of bringing the meal to Congress. And we thank all of the advocates who helped spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. Today we offer special thanks as well to all the writers and reporters who helped raise awareness of the students' efforts.
Check out some of the great pieces that help tell the story of the Cooking up Change Day of Action and the need for healthy school food:
Q&A with Prominent School Food Reform Advocates
3.3.2010 | iVillage
Prize-winning student chefs tout healthy eats
3.3.2010 | Chicago Sun-Times
Cooking Up Change in School Lunch Nutrition
3.3.2010 | Fooducate
Chicago Students Cook Lunch for Congress
3.3.2010 | The Slow Food USA Blog
Kids Feed Capitol Hill To Beef Up School Lunch Money
3.2.2010 | NPR.org
CPS students cook for Congress
3.2.2010 | ABC Chicago
Winning Students Cook on Capitol Hill—and Call for Reform
3.2.2010 | iVillage
Chicago High School's Top Chefs Cook for Congress
3.1.2010 | NBC Chicago
Cooking Up Change
3.1.2010 | Gapers Block
Cooking Up Change
3.1.2010 | Lunchbox
We can't say thank you enough to everyone who helped spread the word about this exciting effort!
Stay posted for more photos and video of the students in DC!
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