A model for developing your school’s food culture

From Cafeteria to Restaurant

Turku, Finland

Nutrition has a big effect on learning. In addition to well-being and health, school lunches develop students’ understanding about the food culture surrounding them. School lunches also provide a great opportunity for student and parent participation.

Food Education, Home and school partnership, Participation, School culture, School lunch, School restaurant, Wellbeing

Introduction

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Introduction

What is it all about?

“Making lunches better affects students’ satisfaction in school, which will in turn improve both learning results and well-being at school.”

Nicke Wulff, headmaster

Nutrition has a great effect on children’s well-being, energy levels, and learning results. It is important that schools not only pay attention to the nutritiousness of school lunches, but also the resulting food culture. School lunches are supervised social events meant to support students comprehensively in their growth and development and improve their satisfaction in school.

The Cygnaeus school has worked to actively improve their school cafeteria’s impact on student well-being and satisfaction. The results can be seen in the students’ newfound respect towards food and the staff who makes it.

The school has noticed that investing in continuous food education promotes school satisfaction, learning results and creates opportunities for collaboration between schools and parents.

See this innovation in action.

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Steps

Inspired to implement this? Here's how...

The wake-up call

The school leadership needs to realize that lunch can be more than a quick visit to the cafeteria.

Knowledge and courage

After preliminary discussions, carry out a more organised survey on school lunches with different focus groups.

Open communication

It is best to be open about the changes you’re making.

Participation

It’s a good idea to use the school restaurant as a way to get all parties involved.

Collaboration

To ensure continuous development, continue collaborating closely with the students, parents, teachers and kitchen workers, and strive to find new partnerships.

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