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Specialized Programs

The Chef Ann Foundation administers and supports a variety of specialized programs seeking to improve the quality of school meals, increase the amount of scratch-cooking in schools, and advance systemic food systems change.

Read on to learn about our wide array of specialized programs.

Specialized Programs

The Chef Ann Foundation administers and supports a variety of specialized programs seeking to improve the quality of school meals, increase the amount of scratch-cooking in schools, and advance systemic food systems change.

Read on to learn about our wide array of specialized programs.

Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS)

Partnerships for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) is a grant program that funds projects led by groups of local partners advancing systemic and equity-driven approaches to transforming school food supply chains.

Projects will build and strengthen relationships among community-based food system stakeholders and school districts as well as expand scratch cooking in schools in order to build more nourishing school meal programs.

This program is funded by the USDA Food & Nutrition Service Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative and is administered by Chef Ann Foundation in partnership with Kitchen Sync Strategies Collaborative, Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, and National Farm to School Network. 

Learn more.

Photo credit: Sarah Trent

Partnerships for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) is a grant program that funds projects led by groups of local partners advancing systemic and equity-driven approaches to transforming school food supply chains.

Projects will build and strengthen relationships among community-based food system stakeholders and school districts as well as expand scratch cooking in schools in order to build more nourishing school meal programs.

This program is funded by the USDA Food & Nutrition Service Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative and is administered by Chef Ann Foundation in partnership with Kitchen Sync Strategies Collaborative, Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, and National Farm to School Network. 

Learn more.

Photo credit: Sarah Trent


Healthy Meals Incentives for Small & Rural Schools

As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids, and its partners RMC Health and Chef Ann Foundation, have awarded nearly $30 million in grants to 264 small and/or rural School Food Authorities across 44 states and the District of Columbia to improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

As part of this partnership, Chef Ann Foundation is providing technical assistance to grantees. This support includes facilitating innovative staff training programs, modernizing operations, and advancing other efforts to support school food professionals and healthy school meals.

Learn More

As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids, and its partners RMC Health and Chef Ann Foundation, have awarded nearly $30 million in grants to 264 small and/or rural School Food Authorities across 44 states and the District of Columbia to improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

As part of this partnership, Chef Ann Foundation is providing technical assistance to grantees. This support includes facilitating innovative staff training programs, modernizing operations, and advancing other efforts to support school food professionals and healthy school meals.

Learn More


Custom District Support

Custom District Support projects are designed by Chef Ann Foundation in collaboration with school districts to address their specific school food challenges and goals.

Creating Your Kitchen, with experts by your side

Arizona Department of Education

This pilot program will support improving nutrition and increasing the amount of scratch-cooked school meals in 10 high-need school districts in Arizona.

The Chef Ann Foundation is working with partners, including the Life Time Foundation and Whole Kids Foundation, to assess current school food operations.

These organizations are part of the newly formed ScratchWorks Collective and are dedicated to improving the quality of school meals by supporting districts in providing fresh, whole ingredient based, scratch cooked food.

Creating Your Kitchen, with experts by your side

Arizona Department of Education

This pilot program will support improving nutrition and increasing the amount of scratch-cooked school meals in 10 high-need school districts in Arizona.

The Chef Ann Foundation is working with partners, including the Life Time Foundation and Whole Kids Foundation, to assess current school food operations.

These organizations are part of the newly formed ScratchWorks Collective and are dedicated to improving the quality of school meals by supporting districts in providing fresh, whole ingredient based, scratch cooked food.

Foothills Fresh

Western Nevada County, CA

Foothills Fresh is an assessment and technical assistance program designed to support a school meal program that provides students from nine small, rural districts daily access to fresh, healthy food.

Over the three-year program, Chef Ann Foundation will conduct an onsite assessment; develop recommendations and a strategic plan; and provide technical assistance to help transform the meal program. This multi-district meal program is positioned to be a model for other rural school districts to follow across the nation that could eventually benefit millions of children.

Chef Ann Foundation is partnering with local California nonprofit, Sierra Harvest, on this initiative.

Foothills Fresh

Western Nevada County, CA

Foothills Fresh is an assessment and technical assistance program designed to support a school meal program that provides students from nine small, rural districts daily access to fresh, healthy food.

Over the three-year program, Chef Ann Foundation will conduct an onsite assessment; develop recommendations and a strategic plan; and provide technical assistance to help transform the meal program. This multi-district meal program is positioned to be a model for other rural school districts to follow across the nation that could eventually benefit millions of children.

Chef Ann Foundation is partnering with local California nonprofit, Sierra Harvest, on this initiative.

Recipe Development with Oakland Unified School District

Oakland, CA

In collaboration with Oakland Unified School District, the Chef Ann Foundation will support Oakland’s mission and vision to the create and test 30 school food recipes that are compliant with the National School Lunch Program.

Recipes will additionally be:

  • Developed for central kitchen production
  • Cost effective for Oakland Unified’s meal program
  • Designed for available equipment and staff skillset
  • Kid tested and approved

Recipe Development with Oakland Unified School District

Oakland, CA

In collaboration with Oakland Unified School District, the Chef Ann Foundation will support Oakland’s mission and vision to the create and test 30 school food recipes that are compliant with the National School Lunch Program.

Recipes will additionally be:

  • Developed for central kitchen production
  • Cost effective for Oakland Unified’s meal program
  • Designed for available equipment and staff skillset
  • Kid tested and approved

California Kitchen Infrastructure & Training (KIT) Funding

California

In 2022, the California Kitchen Infrastructure & Training (KIT) Funds were awarded to school districts for equipment and training to promote food access and quality school meals. Totaling 150 million dollars, these funds were distributed in an incredible show of support from the California First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the California Department of Food and Agriculture as part of the Farm to School Roadmap for Success.

Districts have one year to revitalize their kitchen equipment and access staff professional development. To help support districts, the Chef Ann Foundation is providing customized facilities assessments and equipment recommendations, as well as virtual and onsite training.

California Kitchen Infrastructure & Training (KIT) Funding

California

In 2022, the California Kitchen Infrastructure & Training (KIT) Funds were awarded to school districts for equipment and training to promote food access and quality school meals. Totaling 150 million dollars, these funds were distributed in an incredible show of support from the California First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the California Department of Food and Agriculture as part of the Farm to School Roadmap for Success.

Districts have one year to revitalize their kitchen equipment and access staff professional development. To help support districts, the Chef Ann Foundation is providing customized facilities assessments and equipment recommendations, as well as virtual and onsite training.

Request Custom District Support

Custom District Support projects are opportunities for one district or multiple districts to receive individualized and direct support for improving their meal programs. We work with districts in five key areas: Food, Finance, Facilities, Human Resources, and Marketing. This programming is for districts that fall outside the parameters and/or timeline of our Get Schools Cooking program but are ready to create change. Projects are reviewed and selected on a case-by-case basis.

Note: While our Get Schools Cooking grant is funded, Custom District Support projects are not. During the appraisal period, we may partner with an organization or district to support fundraising efforts to cover program costs.


Discover More

Salad Bars To Schools

Salad Bars to Schools (SB2S) supports schools in expanding their commitment to serving fresh fruits and vegetables by donating salad bars to school districts across the United States.

School Food Institute

The School Food Institute gives school food service professionals and childhood nutrition advocates the in-depth training, operational skills, and strategic vision necessary to make school food fresh, healthy, and sustainable.

The Lunch Box

The Lunch Box is an online resource that is dedicated to supporting school districts and food service teams in transitioning their food programs from relying on processed foods to incorporating scratch cooking and fresh ingredients.

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