Grants and technical support to USA school districts to develop and implement healthier school food programs. The program helps public K-12 schools transition from food that is highly processed to healthier and more nutritional options that are prepared from scratch. Eligible school districts participate in the National School Lunch Program and run a self-operated food service program.

Get Schools Cooking (GSC) is an intensive 3-year assessment and strategic planning program that provides schools with the operational knowledge to transition from a heat & serve to scratch cook operational model. Get Schools Cooking offers school districts comprehensive support throughout their school food transition from a heat and serve or processed model to one rooted in scratch cooking using whole, fresh ingredients.

Program Targeted Outcomes:

• Increase knowledge surrounding scratch cooking
• Assist with implementing operational changes to support scratch cooking
• Support districts working towards a scratch cooked meal program centered around fresh, whole foods

Once selected for Get Schools Cooking, districts will complete the following steps:

• Workshop: Districts attend a two-day workshop at a Chef Ann Foundation partner district.
• School Food Institute Courses: Each district selected for the program receives two Gold Certificates to Chef Ann Foundation’s virtual School Food Institute. 
• On-site Assessment: Chef Ann Foundation personnel who specialize in school food operations observe all aspects of the current practices in action and collect key operational data to provide recommended actions for improvement in day-to-day activities.
• Assessment Report: An assessment report of recommendations is provided to the district as a guide for next steps, working with both district leadership and the school community. 
• Strategic Planning: School food experts provide key district leadership with a strategic plan to review the recommendations from the assessment report, and the necessary actions the district would need to take in order to achieve the desired changes necessary for a successful scratch cooking model.
• Technical Assistance: The Chef Ann Foundation will provide districts both on-site and one-on-one virtual technical assistance support in areas identified in the assessment report. 
• Support: Chef Ann Foundation personnel work closely with districts to track the progress in addressing recommendations outlined in the strategic plan by develop goals, timelines, and next steps for continued systems change.
• System Assistance Grant: Districts are given the opportunity to apply for a one-time systems assistance grant that is designed to support the identified needs and goals of their program.
• Evaluations: Following assessment, districts participate in qualitative interviews and submit up-to-date program data to measure their progress in the program. 
• Connect & Reflect: Connect and Reflect provides peer-to-peer support sessions for districts to discuss current school food topics, share information, and keep up to date with what other districts are doing across Cohorts.

For more information on program steps, see the URL for Full Text.